noun
cell
Mobile telephone communication through a wireless network.
She checks her cell for messages before leaving the office.
Etymology
Latin cella named a small room. Mobile networks divide their coverage into local areas called cells; cell then serves as a shortened name for the phone service using that arrangement.
More examples
- We lose cell service in the remote valley.
- His cell rings during the meeting.
- The new tower improves cell coverage.
Forms
cell · cells
Similar words
- mobile
- Another term for a portable network-connected telephone.
- landline
- Uses a fixed connection rather than mobile wireless service.