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cel·lar

(sĕlər)

1. A room or enclosed space used for storage, usually beneath the ground or under a building.

2. A basement.

3. An underground shelter, as from storms.

4. A wine cellar.

5. Slang The last place or lowest level, especially in competitive standings: The team came from the cellar to win the pennant.

tr.v. cel·lared, cel·lar·ing, cel·lars

To store in a cellar.

[Middle English celer, from Old French, from Late Latin cellārium, pantry, from Latin cella, storeroom; see kel-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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