What does "cellar" mean?
An enclosed underground space, often under a building, used for storage or shelter.
Cellar
/ˈsɛlə/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An enclosed underground space, often under a building, used for storage or shelter.
- Grammar: cellar is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: basement, wine cellar, age, archives.
- Useful contrasts: aboveground storage, attic, attic vocabulary.
- Usage evidence: A cellar was dug on top of the hill and they slowly moved the house from the road to the hill.
How to use "cellar"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cellar" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cellar" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cellar" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cellar" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cellar" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "basement" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cellar", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An enclosed underground space, often under a building, used for storage or shelter.
"The farmhouse has several additions, added over many decades; it has three cellars, and one of them is older than the other two."
- 2 salt cellar
- 3 the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage wordnet
- 4 A wine collection, especially when stored in a cellar.
"The insurance company valued his cellar at $27,000, largely on the strength of his bottles of 1972 Château Hypothetica."
- 5 storage space where wines are stored wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Last place in a league or competition; some rank near last place. slang
"The Tigers have been in the cellar all year long, and I'm tired of it."
- 7 an excavation where root vegetables are stored wordnet
- 8 A basement. Northeastern, UK, US
"Most of my tools and hardware are in the garage, but I keep some tools in the cellar, too, mainly for convenience."
Verb
- 1 To store (something, especially food or wine) in a cellar. transitive
"Mr. VandenBerghe says he’s cellared such memorable bottles as the Batch 1 Adam from Hair of the Dog, a 14-year-old ale from Portland, Ore., that’s 10 percent alcohol, and the Trappistes Rochefort 10, a Quadrupel Belgian ale that peaks around age 10."
Example
"A cellar was dug on top of the hill and they slowly moved the house from the road to the hill."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cellar"?
Common synonyms include: basement, wine cellar, age, archives, armory, arsenal.
How do you use "cellar" in a sentence?
A cellar was dug on top of the hill and they slowly moved the house from the road to the hill.
How do you pronounce "cellar"?
Pronounced /ˈsɛlə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English celer, seler, from Anglo-Norman celer, Old French celier (modern cellier), from Late Latin cellārium, from Latin cella. Doublet of cellarium.
Etymology 2
From 15th century English saler, from French salière, from Latin salarius (“relating to salt”), from Latin sal (“salt”).