See also: zelle

German edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈtsɛlə/
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛlə
  • Hyphenation: Zel‧le
  • Homophone: Celle

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle High German zelle, from Old High German zella (9th century), from Ecclesiastical Latin cella. The cytological sense (17th c.) is a semantic loan from English cell (coined by Robert Hooke).

Noun edit

Zelle f (genitive Zelle, plural Zellen, diminutive Zellchen n)

  1. cell (segregated room)
    1. in a monastery or convent
      Synonyms: Klosterzelle, Klause
    2. in a prison
      Synonyms: Gefängniszelle, (officialese) Haftraum
  2. (cytology) cell
    • 2010, Der Spiegel[1], number 5/2010, page 106:
      Eine neue Generation hochauflösender Lichtmikroskope revolutioniert die Biologie: Erstmals können die Forscher auch molekulare Strukturen in lebenden Zellen beobachten.
      A new generation of high-resolution optical microscopes is revolutionizing biology: for the first time researchers are able to also watch molecular structures in living cells.
  3. cell (component of a battery)
  4. cell (small, organised, often clandestine group of people)
Declension edit
Alternative forms edit
Related terms edit
Descendants edit
  • Polish: cela

Etymology 2 edit

Proper noun edit

Zelle m or f (proper noun, strong, genitive Zelles or (with an article) Zelle, plural Zelles or Zelle)

  1. a surname

Further reading edit

  • Zelle” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • Zelle” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • Zelle” in Duden online
  •   Zelle on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de