cellmate

noun

cell·​mate ˈsel-ˌmāt How to pronounce cellmate (audio)
variants or less commonly cell mate
plural cellmates also cell mates
: a person who shares a prison cell with another prisoner
When his cellmates learned that his bond had been set at $1 million (and bail at $500,000), they broke into laughter and shook their heads in disbelief.Richard Behar
Within a week, guards came by at night and told me to get ready. … I said goodbye to my cellmates and gathered my things …Clare Morgana Gillis

Examples of cellmate 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.
It had been recommended that Epstein have a cellmate after being taken off suicide watch, but the Metropolitan Correctional Center failed to assign one. Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 17 Sep. 2025 An initial report from the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office noted a cellmate had alerted jail staff that Muniz Jimenez appeared to be unconscious and in medical distress. Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2025 But he is soon assigned a new cellmate, Dee (Tom Blyth), who is looking to deal drugs and make a name for himself. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2025 Staffers at the Tehachapi prison removed Campbell’s 29-year-old cellmate and began attempting life-saving measures on Campbell. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cellmate

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cellmate was in 1839

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Cite this Entry

“Cellmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellmate. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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