Cool MateCell
UK /["/sel/"]/US /["/sel/"]/
Definition
the smallest unit of living matter that can exist on its own. All plants and animals are made up of cells.
In simple words: A small room or a basic unit of life.
Examples
- red and white **blood cells**
- brain/nerve/cancer cells
- the nucleus of a cell
- Cells divide and form new cells.
- He spent a night in a **prison cell**.
- a photoelectric cell
- a terrorist cell
- Call me on my cell.
Usage notes
Use 'cell' to refer to biological cells in science or small rooms in prisons. Avoid in casual contexts for non-medical meanings.
Grammar pattern
standalone noun
Memory hint
Think of a 'tiny room' used for a person, like a 'cell' in a prison.
Collocations
- dead
- living
- healthy
- create
- form
- grow
- divide
- develop
- form
- division
- growth
- proliferation
- the nucleus of a cell
- monk’s
- nun’s
- jail
- in a/the cell
- monk’s
- nun’s
- jail
- in a/the cell
Synonyms
- room
- compartment
- unit
- module
- component
Antonyms
- whole
- entity
Common mistakes
- Confused with 'sell' when speaking.
- Using 'cell' only for prisons and ignoring biological context.
- Mixing up 'cell phone' with 'cellular phone'.