noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈsɛlə/
General-American:/ˈsɛləɹ/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛlə(ɹ)
homophone: sellar
homophone: seller
CMU ARPABET:S EH1 L ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An enclosed underground space, often under a building, used for storage or shelter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The farmhouse has several additions, added over many decades; it has three cellars, and one of them is older than the other two.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A wine collection, especially when stored in a cellar.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The insurance company valued his cellar at $27,000, largely on the strength of his bottles of 1972 Château Hypothetica.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Last place in a league or competition; some rank near last place.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang
Examples
The Tigers have been in the cellar all year long, and I'm tired of it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A basement.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northeastern, UK, US
Examples
Most of my tools and hardware are in the garage, but I keep some tools in the cellar, too, mainly for convenience.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
salt cellar
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To store (something, especially food or wine) in a cellar.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: store, keep, save, lay by, lay in
7
noun
Meaning 7
the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: basement
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: floor, level, storey, story
Narrower terms: cellarage
8
noun
Meaning 8
storage space where wines are stored
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: wine cellar
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: storage space
9
noun
Meaning 9
an excavation where root vegetables are stored
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: root cellar
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: excavation, storage space
History
Etymology
From Middle English celer, seler, from Anglo-Norman celer, Old French celier (modern cellier), from Late Latin cellārium, from Latin cella. Doublet of cellarium.
From 15th century English saler, from French salière, from Latin salarius (“relating to salt”), from Latin sal (“salt”).
Across languages
Translations
201 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
qilar
— underground space
Albanian:
qeli
— underground space
Albanian:
gërdhet
— underground space
Albanian:
bodrum
— underground space
Arabic:
قَبْو
(qabw)
— underground space
Arabic:
سِرْدَاب
(sirdāb)
— underground space
Arabic:
قبوة
(ʔabwa)
— underground space
Armenian:
նկուղ
(nkuġ)
— underground space
Armenian:
պադվալ
(padval)
— underground space
Azerbaijani:
zirzəmi
— underground space
Azerbaijani:
evaltı
— underground space
Azerbaijani:
padval
— underground space
Bashkir:
баҙ
(baź)
— underground space
Belarusian:
склеп
(skljep)
— underground space
Belarusian:
падва́л
(padvál)
— underground space
Belarusian:
лёх
(ljox)
— underground space
Belarusian:
по́граб
(póhrab)
— underground space
Belarusian:
піўні́ца
(piwníca)
— underground space
Bengali:
ভিত্তি
(bhitti)
— underground space
Bulgarian:
мазе́
(mazé)
— underground space
Bulgarian:
и́зба
(ízba)
— underground space
Bulgarian:
зи́мник
(zímnik)
— underground space
Catalan:
soterrani
— underground space
Cherokee:
ᎣᏏ
(osi)
— underground space
Chinese Cantonese:
地牢
(dei6 lou4)
— underground space
Chinese:
地下室
(zh-min-nan)
— underground space
Chinese Mandarin:
地窖
(dìjiào)
— underground space
Chinese Mandarin:
地下室
(dìxiàshì)
— underground space
Choctaw:
aboha anokaka kula
— underground space
Czech:
sklep
— underground space
Danish:
kælder
— underground space
Dutch:
kelder
— underground space
Erzya:
мацт
(mact)
— underground space
Esperanto:
kelo
— underground space
Estonian:
kelder
— underground space
Faroese:
kjallari
— underground space
Finnish:
kellari
— underground space
French:
cave
— underground space
Galician:
adega
— underground space
Galician:
soto
— underground space
Georgian:
სარდაფი
(sardapi)
— underground space
Georgian:
პადვალი
(ṗadvali)
— underground space
German:
Keller
— underground space
Greek:
κελάρι
(kelári)
— underground space
Greek:
υπόγειο
(ypógeio)
— underground space
Ancient Greek:
κρύπτη
(krúptē)
— underground space
Ancient Greek:
πιθεών
(pitheṓn)
— underground space
Ancient Greek:
ὑπόγειον
(hupógeion)
— underground space
Greenlandic:
naqqup-ilua
— underground space
Hebrew:
מַרְתֵּף
(martéf)
— underground space
Hindi:
तहख़ाना
(tahxānā)
— underground space
Hindi:
सुरागार
(surāgār)
— underground space
Hungarian:
pince
— underground space
Hutterisch:
Keller
— underground space
Icelandic:
kjallari
— underground space
Ido:
kelero
— underground space
Indonesian:
ruang di bawah tanah
— underground space
Indonesian:
rubanah
— underground space
Indonesian:
ruang bawah tanah
— underground space
Indonesian:
basemen
— underground space
Italian:
cantina
— underground space
Italian:
scantinato
— underground space
Italian:
cantinato
— underground space
Italian:
seminterrato
— underground space
Japanese:
地下室
(chikashitsu)
— underground space
Japanese:
穴蔵
(anagura)
— underground space
Japanese:
穴倉
(anagura)
— underground space
Japanese:
窖
(anagura)
— underground space
Kannada:
ನೆಲಮನೆ
(nelamane)
— underground space
Kashubian:
sklep
— underground space
Kazakh:
төле
(töle)
— underground space
Kazakh:
жертөле
(jertöle)
— underground space
Khmer:
លេណ
(lein)
— underground space
Korean:
지하실
(jihasil)
— underground space
Northern Kurdish:
kîler
— underground space
Northern Kurdish:
bodrûm
— underground space
Northern Kurdish:
jêrzemîn
— underground space
Kyrgyz:
погреб
(pogreb)
— underground space
Kyrgyz:
подвал
(podval)
— underground space
Kyrgyz:
жертөлө
(jertölö)
— underground space
Lao:
ຫ້ອງໃຕ້ດິນ
(hǭng tai din)
— underground space
Latvian:
pagrabs
— underground space
Lithuanian:
rūsys
— underground space
Macedonian:
визба
(vizba)
— underground space
Macedonian:
подрум
(podrum)
— underground space
Malay:
bilik bawah tanah
— underground space
Mongolian:
зоорь
(zoorʹ)
— underground space
Mongolian:
суурь
(suurʹ)
— underground space
Norman:
ch'lyi
— underground space
Norwegian Bokmål:
kjeller
— underground space
Norwegian Nynorsk:
kjellar
— underground space
Ojibwe:
moonikaan
— underground space
Old Norse:
kjallari
— underground space
Old Norse:
kellari
— underground space
Pashto:
زېرزميني
(zerzaminí)
— underground space
Pashto:
سرداب
(sardāb)
— underground space
Dari:
زیرْزَمِین
(zērzamīn)
— underground space
Dari:
سَرْدَاب
(sardāb)
— underground space
Iranian Persian:
زیرْزَمین
(zirzamin)
— underground space
Iranian Persian:
سَرْداب
(sardâb)
— underground space
Iranian Persian:
تَهخانِه
(ta-xâne)
— underground space
Iranian Persian:
تَهْ خانِه
(tah xâne)
— underground space
Iranian Persian:
سَرْدابِه
(sardâbe)
— underground space
Plautdietsch:
Kjala
— underground space
Polish:
piwnica
— underground space
Polish:
loch
— underground space
Portuguese:
cave
— underground space
Portuguese:
porão
— underground space
Romanian:
pivniță
— underground space
Romanian:
beci
— underground space
Russian:
подва́л
(podvál)
— underground space
Russian:
по́греб
(pógreb)
— underground space
Northern Sami:
keallir
— underground space
Serbo-Croatian:
по̀друм
— underground space
Serbo-Croatian:
pòdrum
— underground space
Slovak:
pivnica
— underground space
Slovene:
klet
— underground space
Spanish:
sótano
— underground space
Spanish:
furnia
— underground space
Spanish:
sibil
— underground space
Swedish:
källare
— underground space
Tagalog:
silong
— underground space
Tajik:
таҳхона
(tahxona)
— underground space
Tajik:
ӯра
(üra)
— underground space
Tajik:
заминкан
(zaminkan)
— underground space
Tajik:
хонаи зеризаминӣ
(xona-yi zerizamini)
— underground space
Tajik:
сардоба
(sardoba)
— underground space
Tashelhit:
tasraft
— underground space
Tatar:
подвал
(podwal)
— underground space
Thai:
ห้องใต้ดิน
(hɔ̂ng-dtâi-din)
— underground space
Turkish:
bodrum
— underground space
Turkish:
kiler
— underground space
Ottoman Turkish:
پودروم
(podrum)
— underground space
Ottoman Turkish:
كنج
(künc)
— underground space
Turkmen:
podwal
— underground space
Turkmen:
ýerzemin
— underground space
Ukrainian:
льох
(lʹox)
— underground space
Ukrainian:
підва́л
(pidvál)
— underground space
Ukrainian:
по́гріб
(póhrib)
— underground space
Ukrainian:
пивни́ця
(pyvnýcja)
— underground space