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cella

cell

noun CHEL-lah Rare

Origin: From Latin cella — 'small room, storeroom'.

Usage Note

Cella covers a prison cell (cella di isolamento = solitary confinement cell), a monastic cell, and biological cells in scientific Italian. For a smartphone 'cell' (as in cellular network), Italians say cella in technical contexts but the phone itself is il cellulare (or informally il telefonino).

Examples

"Il prigioniero era solo nella sua cella."

Natural Translation

The prisoner was alone in his cell.

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