Definition of "cella" [cel•la]

• The inner room or sanctuary of an ancient Greek or Roman temple, in which the statue of the god was situated. (noun)
• In Byzantine architecture, the area of a centrally planned church in which the liturgy is performed. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The term cella in this sense occurs in a very interesting inscription of Caeasarea in Mauretania quoted by De Rossi"
• "Sacella appears to be a hybrid of sacculus with cella, which is derived from the image of a beehive, a lasting metaphor for storing wisdom away like honey."
• "That it was even then the abode of monks is indicated by the name cella and by an ancient burial-place of an earlier date (c."