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to cell

1 9.3
To put someone into a small locked room in a prison or police station
  • verb
  • /sɛl/
: encerrar en una celda
  • After the incident, the officers had to cell the unruly protester for his own safety.

Examples

  • The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Clemmons agreed with the Avery court that the type of exposure potentially faced by a nonsmoking prisoner double-celled with a smoker can violate the Eighth Amendment.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The judge decided to cell the suspect until the trial began.

  • Stephen Bauer is touring the Pelican Bay SHU in California, where 94 percent of prisoners are celled alone.

    Blog text (13)
  • The prison staff must cell an inmate who poses a threat to others.

Synonyms

to imprison
vsto cell
  • Formal
131 4.2

Put someone in prison as a punishment or keep them locked up

is about holding someone briefly rather than punishment or forceful detention
to incarcerate
vsto cell
  • Formal
90 8.4

To put someone in prison and keep them there

is about temporary holding by authorities rather than inescapable confinement
to gaol
vsto cell
  • Archaic
64 9.9

To put someone in prison as punishment

is about short-term holding by authorities rather than formal custody
to cage
vsto cell
47 1.0

To put a person or animal into a space with bars that keeps them from escaping

is about legal detention by authorities rather than physical enclosure
to coop up
vsto cell
  • Informal
11 6.4

To keep a person or animal inside a small space like a cage

is about official holding by authorities rather than informal cramped containment
to jail
vsto cell
8 2.1

To put someone in prison as punishment

is about brief official holding rather than full or long imprisonment
to cage in
vsto cell
6 5.4

To put someone or something into a small space with bars to stop them moving freely

is about official detention in custody rather than general barrier confinement

Antonyms

202 4.3

Set someone free from prison or unfair control

Compounds

stem cell
  • Specialized
159 4.1

A basic body unit that can become different kinds of cells and make more of itself

brain cell
  • Specialized
61 2.8

A cell in the brain that sends and receives messages

blood cell
  • Specialized
59 2.5

A cell in the blood that carries oxygen or fights infection

stem-cell research
  • Specialized
47 3.7

Study of cells that can become other cells and how they can treat disease

47 1.5

A small room in a prison where guards keep prisoners

fuel cell
  • Specialized
41 4.5

A device that makes electricity from hydrogen and oxygen

cancer cell
  • Specialized
39 2.5

An abnormal body cell that divides without control and forms a tumor

39 4.1

A secure room in a police station where people wait briefly before going to court

34 2.7

A small locked room in jail for holding a person

31 3.3

A blood cell that eats and kills germs to protect the body

T cell
  • Specialized
29 4.2

A white blood cell made in the thymus that helps the body fight infections and cancer cells

white blood cell
  • Specialized
21 2.5

A cell in the blood that helps the body fight infections

19 6.0

A small secret group that plans violent attacks for political reasons

red blood cell
  • Specialized
17 3.1

A small round cell in the blood that carries oxygen to body tissues

skin cell
  • Specialized
17 2.7

A small living part of the skin that makes it and helps protect the body

solar cell
  • Specialized
17 3.6

A device that changes sunlight into electricity

sickle cell
  • Specialized
16 4.3

A red blood cell with a crescent shape that can block small blood vessels

nerve cell
  • Specialized
15 3.4

A cell that sends electrical signals to carry messages between the brain and body

11 4.1

A study of cells taken from early human embryos to develop medical treatments

9 8.9

A secret group of people who stay inactive until told to attack or spy

fat cell
  • Specialized
8 2.8

A small part of the body that stores fat for energy

B cell
  • Specialized
8 4.3

A white blood cell that makes antibodies to fight infections

cell wall
  • Specialized
7 3.6

A hard layer around the cells of plants, fungi, and some bacteria that gives support and protection

cell death
  • Specialized
7 3.9

A natural process in which living cells die during growth or repair

cell membrane
  • Specialized
7 3.6

A thin flexible outer layer around a cell that controls what enters and leaves

muscle cell
  • Specialized
7 3.0

A long body cell that makes muscles move by becoming shorter and longer

cell division
  • Specialized
6 2.8

A cell splits to make two new cells for growth or repair

bone cell
  • Specialized
5 3.7

A living part inside a bone that helps make new bone and remove old bone

egg cell
  • Specialized
5 3.6

A female cell that can join with a sperm to grow into a new animal or plant

sickle-cell anemia
  • Specialized
4 4.1

An inherited blood illness in which red blood cells become crescent shaped, causing low red blood cell count and pain

epithelial cell
  • Specialized
4 5.0

A cell that forms a thin layer covering body surfaces and inner organs

4 3.5

A male cell that joins a female egg to make a baby

Leydig cell
  • Specialized
3 7.1

A cell in the testes that makes the hormone testosterone

embryonic cell
  • Specialized
3 4.6

A cell in an embryo during early growth

cell nucleus
  • Specialized
3 3.2

The part of a cell surrounded by a membrane that holds DNA and controls growth and reproduction

plant cell
  • Specialized
3 3.0

A tiny living part of a plant with a stiff wall, green chloroplasts, and a large storage space inside

A large room in a jail or police station where officers keep several people for a short time

photovoltaic cell
  • Specialized
2 4.6

A device that changes sunlight into electricity

somatic cell
  • Specialized
2 4.9

A body cell that is not a sex cell

CD4 cell
  • Specialized
2 5.1

A white blood cell that helps control the immune system and that HIV attacks

target cell
  • Specialized
2 5.2

A cell that responds to a specific agent, like a hormone or a virus

sickle-cell disease
  • Specialized
2 3.4

A blood condition passed from parents that makes red blood cells crescent-shaped and causes pain

unit cell
  • Specialized
2 6.8

The smallest part of a crystal that repeats in three directions to form the whole crystal

glial cell
  • Specialized
2 6.9

A part of the brain and nerves that supports, protects, and helps nerve cells work

CD4 T cell
  • Specialized
2 4.6

A white blood cell that helps the body fight infection by guiding other immune cells

squamous cell
  • Specialized
2 5.8

A thin, flat cell that forms the outer layer of the skin and some body surfaces

hair cell
  • Specialized
2 5.6

A cell in the inner ear that senses sound vibrations

germ cell
  • Specialized
2 5.8

Cell like a sperm or egg that carries genes to children

killer cell
  • Specialized
2 4.3

A white blood cell that finds and kills virus-infected cells

CD8 cell
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A type of white blood cell that finds and kills virus-infected or abnormal cells

reproductive cell
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A cell like a sperm or egg that carries half the genes for a new life

beta cell
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A cell in the pancreas that makes and releases insulin to control blood sugar

A small device that makes electricity when its chemicals change

plasma cell
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A white blood cell that makes antibodies to fight infections

CD8 T cell
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A kind of immune cell that finds and kills cells infected by viruses

1 6.1

A special cell inside bones that makes red and white blood cells and platelets

mast cell
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A large cell in body tissue that releases chemicals during allergic reactions and inflammation

storage cell
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A device that stores electricity and can be charged again

mother cell
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A cell that makes another cell during the growth or reproduction of a living thing

lymph cell
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A small white blood cell that helps the body fight infection and often increases during illness

1 9.6

A small secret group of people who plan or use political violence

sex cell
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A cell that joins another to make a new living thing, like sperm or egg

1 4.6

A common skin cancer that starts in the flat cells of the middle and outer layers of skin

programmed cell death
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A process where a cell kills itself to help the body stay healthy

ganglion cell
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A nerve cell with its main part outside the brain and spinal cord, often in the retina

sleeper cell
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A hidden program in a computer network that stays inactive until activated to do harm

daughter cell
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A cell formed when one cell divides, usually like the parent cell

helper cell
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A white blood cell that helps other immune cells fight infections

intelligence cell
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A small secret group that watches places or people to gather information

cell organ
  • Specialized
1 4.0

A part inside a cell that does a specific job, like making energy

small cell carcinoma
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A very serious cancer made of small round cells that grows and spreads quickly in the lungs

Sertoli cell
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A long cell in the tubes of the testis that supports and feeds growing sperm cells

electrolytic cell
  • Specialized
1 7.3

A device with a liquid that uses electricity to force a chemical reaction

How Confined

to incarcerate
  • Formal
90 8.4
to imprison
  • Formal
131 4.2
to cell
1 9.3
to detain
  • Formal
197 5.9

Surface Forms

cell infinitive
celled past
celled past participle
celling present participle
cells third person singular

Etymology

The verb cell (to put someone in a cell) comes from the noun cell, from Latin cella 'small room', so to cell someone is to put them into a small prison room.