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celda

SELL-dahˈsel.da

cell, room

Also: cubicle
NounfA2
A small, sparse prison room with concrete walls, a narrow cot, and a small window with thick vertical bars, illustrating a detention cell.

📝 In Action

El ladrón fue encerrado en una celda de aislamiento.

A2

The thief was locked in an isolation cell.

Cada monje tiene su propia celda pequeña para meditar.

B1

Each monk has his own small cell for meditation.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • calabozo (dungeon/jail cell)
  • prisión (prison)

Common Collocations

  • celda de castigo – punishment cell (solitary confinement)
  • celda individual – single cell

cell

Also: chamber
NounfB1neutral/technical
A simplified illustration of a biological cell, showing a spherical structure with a central nucleus and various internal organelles.

📝 In Action

La célula es la unidad básica de la vida, pero en español técnico también usamos 'celda'.

B2

The cell is the basic unit of life, but in technical Spanish we also use 'celda'.

Las abejas construyen celdas hexagonales para almacenar la miel.

B1

Bees build hexagonal cells to store honey.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • célula (cell (biological unit))

Common Collocations

  • celda de panal – honeycomb cell
  • celda madre – mother cell

cell

Also: photovoltaic cell
NounfB2technical
A single, standard cylindrical dry-cell battery standing upright, illustrating an electrical power unit.

📝 In Action

Los paneles solares están hechos de cientos de celdas fotovoltaicas.

B2

Solar panels are made of hundreds of photovoltaic cells.

La batería del coche se compone de seis celdas conectadas.

C1

The car battery is composed of six connected cells.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • unidad (unit)
  • batería (battery)

Common Collocations

  • celda de combustible – fuel cell
  • celda solar – solar cell

cell

NounfB1neutral/technical
A simple grid structure where one central square is brightly highlighted, representing a single unit in a spreadsheet or table.

📝 In Action

Hice clic en la celda A1 para empezar a escribir el título.

B1

I clicked on cell A1 to start typing the title.

Si arrastras la celda, copiarás la fórmula a las siguientes filas.

B2

If you drag the cell, you will copy the formula to the following rows.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • casilla (box/square (on a form))

Common Collocations

  • celda de datos – data cell
  • celda de fórmula – formula cell

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "celda" in Spanish:

cell→chamber→cubicle→photovoltaic cell→room→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: celda

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'celda' in its biological/structural meaning?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
eldafalda
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word *cella*, which meant a small room, a storeroom, or a sanctuary. This explains its core meaning related to small, enclosed spaces.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: cellaFrench: celle

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'celda' the same as 'célula'?

They are very similar! 'Célula' (with the accent) is the standard word for a biological cell (like in the human body). 'Celda' is usually reserved for non-biological units, such as prison rooms, spreadsheet squares, or parts of a battery. Think of 'celda' as a structural or physical compartment.

Why is 'celda' feminine?

'Celda' is feminine because its original Latin root, *cella*, was also a feminine noun. In Spanish, words that end in -a are usually feminine, and this is a classic example.