Standard Lemma guide

supercell

noun · 2 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

A severe thunderstorm with updrafts and downdrafts that are in near balance, allowing the storm to maintain itself for several hours. Supercells often produce large hail, powerful downpours, very strong winds and sometimes tornadoes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: climatology, meteorology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A repeating unit cell of a crystal that contains several primitive cells.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, geography, geology, mineralogy, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Italic *super Latin super Latin super-lbor. English super- English cell English supercell From super- + cell.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: supercèl·lula — severe thunderstorm
  • Chinese Mandarin: 超級單體 /超级单体 (chāojídāntǐ) — severe thunderstorm
  • Chinese Mandarin: 超大胞 (chāodàbāo) — severe thunderstorm
  • Chinese Mandarin: 超級胞 /超级胞 (chāojí bāo) — severe thunderstorm
  • Czech: supercela — severe thunderstorm
  • Dutch: supercel — severe thunderstorm
  • Finnish: supersolu — severe thunderstorm
  • French: supercellule — severe thunderstorm
  • German: Superzelle — severe thunderstorm
  • Hungarian: szupercella — severe thunderstorm
  • Italian: supercella — severe thunderstorm
  • Korean: 슈퍼셀 (syupeosel) — severe thunderstorm
  • Persian: توفان چرخشی — severe thunderstorm
  • Portuguese: supercélula — severe thunderstorm
  • Russian: суперъячейка (superʺjačejka) — severe thunderstorm
  • Spanish: supercelda — severe thunderstorm
  • Swedish: supercell — severe thunderstorm
  • Turkish: süper hücre — severe thunderstorm
Real reading context

supercell in complete knowledge articles