cellmate

noun

cell·​mate ˈsel-ˌmāt How to pronounce cellmate (audio)
variants or less commonly cell mate
plural cellmates also cell mates
: a person who shares a prison cell with another prisoner
When his cellmates learned that his bond had been set at $1 million (and bail at $500,000), they broke into laughter and shook their heads in disbelief.Richard Behar
Within a week, guards came by at night and told me to get ready. … I said goodbye to my cellmates and gathered my things …Clare Morgana Gillis

Examples of cellmate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The men’s cellmate told sheriff investigators that Van Tine had threatened Mehran. Kelly Davis, The Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2024 Robert Mitchum plays a terrifying ex-convict posing as a preacher and stalking the children of his former cellmate in order to find a hidden fortune. John Wogan, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024 After listing off three notable cellmates who passed through — one who howled at the moon; one who talked to the wall; and one who'd strike her own head while cursing to herself — Blanchard describes yet another who trumped them all. Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024 More:Lawsuit: Man newly freed from prison sought help 48 hours before killing cellmate at jail Court records show Tucker was indicted in 2018 on counts of complicity to commit arson and insurance fraud, but was ultimately acquitted of those charges at trial. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 29 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cellmate 

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cellmate was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near cellmate

Cite this Entry

“Cellmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellmate. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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