[count] 1 a : a room in a prison, jail, etc., where prisoners live or are kept ▪ a prison/jail cell ▪ The suspect was in the police station's holding cell overnight. b : a small room that one person (such as a monk or a nun) lives in
2 : any one of the very small parts that together form all living things ▪ blood/brain cells ▪ cancer cells —often used before another noun ▪ The nucleus splits during cell division. ▪ Her white blood cell count is low. ▪ the cell walls of plants
3 : any one of many similar sections that together form a larger structure ▪ a honeycomb cell
4 technical a : a container for holding substances that are used for producing electricity by chemical action ▪ dry cell battery ▪ a fuel cell b : a device for changing light (such as sunlight) into electricity ▪ a solar cell
5 : a small group of people who work together secretly as part of a larger organization or group ▪ terrorist cells
6 US informal : cell phone
7 computers : a space where information can be entered in an organized arrangement of rows and columns : a unit in a table or spreadsheet —see picture at table