sel n. 1 a
small room,
esp. in a
prison or
monastery. 2 a small
compartment, e.g. in a
honeycomb. 3 a small
group as a
nucleus of
political activity, esp. of a
subversive kind. 4
hist. a small monastery or
nunnery dependent on a larger
one. 5 Biol. a
the structural and functional usu.
microscopic unit of an
organism, consisting of
cytoplasm and a nucleus enclosed in a
membrane. b an enclosed
cavity in an organism etc. 6 Electr. a
vessel for containing electrodes
within an
electrolyte for current-generation or
electrolysis. øøcelled adj. (also in comb.). [ME f. OF celle or f. L cella
storeroom etc.]