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
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One woman recounted how soldiers tortured her cellmate by administering electric shocks to her breasts and genitals, eventually leaving her unable to walk. Kim Thuy Seelinger, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2016 One of his fellow temporary cellmates is in trouble for gambling away millions in government energy contracts, so Dwight calmly gives the guy advice in advance of a likely multiple-year sentence. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Sep. 2024 In one case, a Trousdale inmate who feared for his life beat his cellmate, Terry Childress, to death to get transferred to a different prison, the federal lawsuit says. Jonathan Mattise, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2024 Advertisement In one case, a Trousdale inmate who feared for his life beat his cellmate, Terry Childress, to death to get transferred to a different prison, the federal lawsuit says. Jonathan Mattise, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 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 1 Dec. 2024.

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