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. celled adj. (also in comb.).
[ ME f. OF celle or f. L cella storeroom etc. ]