variants or less commonly cell
: a transparent sheet of celluloid on which objects are drawn or painted in the making of animated cartoons

Examples of cel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From original artwork and theme park artifacts to rare comics and animation cels, the auction includes hundreds of items spanning the company's legacy. Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025 The three features feel like they’re best considered when layered on top of one another, like transparent cels that only add up to a whole image in combination, and that play as incomplete fragments when looked at alone. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 26 June 2024 Club 33 is an exclusive dining venue, which is furnished with props from Disney films, original animation cels, and art nouveau design features. Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 10 Sep. 2024 There are elements on backgrounds that are drawn as cels, the transparent sheets on which animators draw movable objects. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cel 

Word History

Etymology

short for celluloid

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cel was in 1933

Dictionary Entries Near cel

Cite this Entry

“Cel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cel. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Medical Definition

Cel

abbreviation
Celsius
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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