cell
UK: sel | US: sel
n. a small room, typically in a prison or monastery
n. the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism
n. a device for producing electricity through chemical reactions
n. a small group forming a nucleus of political activity
The word "cell" traces back to Latin cella, meaning "small room" or "storeroom." It originally referred to monastic living quarters, later extending to biological structures (17th century) due to their compartment-like appearance under microscopes. The modern scientific senses (biology, electricity) metaphorically retain the core idea of a discrete, enclosed unit.
The monk retreated to his cell for meditation.
A human cell contains a nucleus and cytoplasm.
The battery's power comes from its chemical cells.
The activist group operated as a clandestine cell.
Plant cells have rigid walls made of cellulose.