cell

/sɛl/
noun
  1. The smallest basic unit of a living thing, such as a plant or animal.
    • Under a microscope, you can see the nucleus of a plant cell.
    • Every living organism is made up of at least one cell.
    • Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body.
  2. A small room in a prison or jail where a prisoner is kept.
    • The guard walked past each cell to check on the inmates.
    • The prisoner was locked in a tiny cell for 23 hours a day.
    • He spent ten years in a cell before being released.
  3. A small, enclosed space or compartment, such as in a honeycomb or battery.
    • Bees store honey in the wax cells of their hive.
    • A battery has one or more cells that produce electricity.
    • Each cell in the solar panel converts sunlight into energy.
  4. A mobile phone (short for 'cell phone').
    • She checked her cell for messages during the break.
    • I left my cell at home, so I couldn't call you.
    • Can I borrow your cell to make a quick call?
  5. A small group of people who work together as part of a larger political or religious organization, often secretly.
    • The spy cell operated in the city for years without being detected.
    • Each cell of the resistance movement had its own leader.
    • The terrorist cell was broken up by the police before it could act.
What does "cell" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean