CELL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cell mean? 

• CELL (noun)
  The noun CELL has 7 senses:

1. any small compartment

2. (biology) the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals

3. a device that delivers an electric current as the result of a chemical reaction

4. a small unit serving as part of or as the nucleus of a larger political movement

5. a hand-held mobile radiotelephone for use in an area divided into small sections, each with its own short-range transmitter/receiver

6. small room in which a monk or nun lives

7. a room where a prisoner is kept

  Familiarity information: CELL used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CELL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any small compartment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Context example:

the cells of a honeycomb

Hypernyms ("cell" is a kind of...):

compartment (a space into which an area is subdivided)

Derivation:

cellular (characterized by or divided into or containing cells or compartments (the smallest organizational or structural unit of an organism or organization))

cellular (relating to cells)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(biology) the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals

Classified under:

Nouns with no superordinates

Hypernyms ("cell" is a kind of...):

animate thing; living thing (a living (or once living) entity)

Meronyms (parts of "cell"):

cell nucleus; karyon; nucleus (a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction)

cell membrane; cytomembrane; plasma membrane (a thin membrane (a double layer of lipids) enclosing the cytoplasm of a cell; proteins in the membrane control passage of ions (like sodium or potassium or calcium) in and out of the cell)

energid; protoplast (a biological unit consisting of a nucleus and the body of cytoplasm with which it interacts)

vacuole (a tiny cavity filled with fluid in the cytoplasm of a cell)

cell organ; cell organelle; organelle (a specialized part of a cell; analogous to an organ)

cytol; cytoplasm (the protoplasm of a cell excluding the nucleus; is full of proteins that control cell metabolism)

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

Domain member category:

totipotent (having the ability to give rise to unlike cells)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cell"):

recombinant (a cell or organism in which genetic recombination has occurred)

arthrospore (a body that resembles a spore but is not an endospore; produced by some bacteria)

arthrospore (one of a string of thick walled vegetative resting cells formed by some algae and fungi)

mother cell (cell from which another cell of an organism (usually of a different sort) develops)

daughter cell (a cell formed by the division or budding of another cell)

archespore; archesporium (primitive cell or group of cells from which a mother cell develops)

plant cell (a cell that is a structural and functional unit of a plant)

Sertoli's cell; Sertoli cell (elongated cells found in the seminiferous tubules of the testis; apparently they nourish the spermatids)

Leydig's cell; Leydig cell (a cell in the testes that secretes the hormone testosterone)

polar body (a small cell containing little cytoplasm that is produced along with the oocyte and later discarded)

gametocyte (an immature animal or plant cell that develops into a gamete by meiosis)

germ cell; reproductive cell; sex cell (a spermatozoon or an ovum; a cell responsible for transmitting DNA to the next generation)

embryonic cell; formative cell (a cell of an embryo)

parthenote (a cell resulting from parthenogenesis)

fertilized ovum; zygote ((genetics) the diploid cell resulting from the union of a haploid spermatozoon and ovum (including the organism that develops from that cell))

blastema (a mass of undifferentiated cells from which an organ or body part develops)

somatic cell; vegetative cell (any of the cells of a plant or animal except the reproductive cells; a cell that does not participate in the production of gametes)

beta cell (a cell that produces insulin in the isles of Langerhans in the pancreas)

Kupffer's cell (specialized cells in the liver that destroy bacteria, foreign proteins, and worn-out blood cells)

fiber; fibre (any of several elongated, threadlike cells (especially a muscle fiber or a nerve fiber))

flagellated cell (any cell or one-celled organism equipped with a flagellum)

blastomere (any cell resulting from cleavage of a fertilized egg)

acaryote; akaryocyte; akaryote (a cell without a nucleus (as an erythrocyte))

Holonyms ("cell" is a part of...):

being; organism (a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently)

Derivation:

cellular (characterized by or divided into or containing cells or compartments (the smallest organizational or structural unit of an organism or organization))

cellular (relating to cells)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A device that delivers an electric current as the result of a chemical reaction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

cell; electric cell

Hypernyms ("cell" is a kind of...):

electrical device (a device that produces or is powered by electricity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cell"):

photovoltaic cell; solar cell (a cell that converts solar energy into electrical energy)

galvanic cell; primary cell; voltaic cell (an electric cell that generates an electromotive force by an irreversible conversion of chemical to electrical energy; cannot be recharged)

secondary cell; storage cell (a cell that can be recharged)

fuel cell (cell that produces electricity by oxidation of fuel (hydrogen and oxygen or zinc and air); often used in electric cars)

electrolytic cell (a cell containing an electrolyte in which an applied voltage causes a reaction to occur that would not occur otherwise (such as the breakdown of water into hydrogen and oxygen))

Derivation:

cellular (relating to cells)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A small unit serving as part of or as the nucleus of a larger political movement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

cadre; cell

Hypernyms ("cell" is a kind of...):

political entity; political unit (a unit with political responsibilities)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cell"):

sleeper cell (a cell of sleepers)

radical cell; terrorist cell (a cell of terrorists (usually 3 to 5 members))

Holonyms ("cell" is a member of...):

political movement (a group of people working together to achieve a political goal)

Derivation:

cellular (characterized by or divided into or containing cells or compartments (the smallest organizational or structural unit of an organism or organization))

cellular (relating to cells)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A hand-held mobile radiotelephone for use in an area divided into small sections, each with its own short-range transmitter/receiver

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

cell; cellphone; cellular phone; cellular telephone; mobile phone

Hypernyms ("cell" is a kind of...):

radiophone; radiotelephone; wireless telephone (a telephone that communicates by radio waves rather than along cables)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Small room in which a monk or nun lives

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

cell; cubicle

Hypernyms ("cell" is a kind of...):

room (an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling)

Holonyms ("cell" is a part of...):

convent (a religious residence especially for nuns)

monastery (the residence of a religious community)

Derivation:

cellular (relating to cells)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A room where a prisoner is kept

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

cell; jail cell; prison cell

Hypernyms ("cell" is a kind of...):

room (an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cell"):

bullpen; detention cell; detention centre (a large cell where prisoners (people awaiting trial or sentence or refugees or illegal immigrants) are confined together temporarily)

cooler; tank (a cell for violent prisoners)

dungeon (a dark cell (usually underground) where prisoners can be confined)

guardroom (a cell in which soldiers who are prisoners are confined)

hold; keep (a cell in a jail or prison)

sweatbox (small or narrow cell)

Holonyms ("cell" is a part of...):

cellblock; ward (a division of a prison (usually consisting of several cells))

Derivation:

cellular (relating to cells)

 Context examples 

Alpha helical hydrophilic LBC is conserved among vertebrates and expressed in skeletal muscle, heart, lung, and hematopoietic cells.

(A Kinase Anchor Protein 13, NCI Thesaurus)

The clinical course includes giant-cell hepatitis and progression to cirrhosis.

(Aagenaes Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein is a cell growth-related protein.

(A Kinase Anchor Protein 12, NCI Thesaurus/LocusLink)

A tumor-targeted therapy consisting of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that are exposed ex vivo to dendritic cells (DCs) transfected with a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) encoding a specific tumor associated antigen (TAA) gene.

(AAV-DC-CTL Tumor Cell Targeting Therapy, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein plays a role in cell motility, apoptosis, cell adhesion, receptor endocytosis, autophagy, tyrosine phosphorylation and signal transduction.

(Abelson Tyrosine-Protein Kinase 2, NCI Thesaurus)

A retrovirus that is associated with leukemia and induces in vitro transformation of certain mouse cells.

(Abelson Murine Leukemia Virus, NCI Thesaurus)

Describes a group of proteins in a cell that work together to help remove extra cholesterol and certain fats from tissue in the body.

(ABCA1 pathway, NCI Dictionary)

Encoded by human AKAP12 Gene, A Kinase Anchor Protein 12 is expressed in endothelial cells, but not in platelets or peripheral blood cells.

(A Kinase Anchor Protein 12, NCI Thesaurus)

The experimental drug, called D-PDMP, stops production of fats called glycosphingolipids (GSLs), which are major components of skin and other cell membranes.

(New Experimental Drug Reverses Hair Loss, Skin Damage, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A team of scientists from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Shanghai, China have announced the first-ever cloning of a primate from post-embryonic cells, namely two macaque monkeys.

(Healthy cloned monkeys born in Shanghai, Wikinews)