Hypertext Webster Gateway: "cell"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Polar \Po"lar\, a. [Cf. F. polaire. See {Pole} of the earth.]
1. Of or pertaining to one of the poles of the earth, or of a
sphere; situated near, or proceeding from, one of the
poles; as, polar regions; polar seas; polar winds.

2. Of or pertaining to the magnetic pole, or to the point to
which the magnetic needle is directed.

3. (Geom.) Pertaining to, reckoned from, or having a common
radiating point; as, polar co["o]rdinates.

{Polar axis}, that axis of an astronomical instrument, as an
equatorial, which is parallel to the earths axis.

{Polar bear} (Zo["o]l.), a large bear ({Ursus, or Thalarctos,
maritimus}) inhabiting the arctic regions. It sometimes
measures nearly nine feet in length and weighs 1,600
pounds. It is partially amphibious, very powerful, and the
most carnivorous of all the bears. The fur is white,
tinged with yellow. Called also {White bear}. See {Bear}.


{Polar body}, {cell}, or {globule} (Biol.), a minute cell
which separates by karyokinesis from the ovum during its
maturation. In the maturation of ordinary ova two polar
bodies are formed, but in parthogenetic ova only one. The
first polar body formed is usually larger than the second
one, and often divides into two after its separation from
the ovum. Each of the polar bodies removes maternal
chromatin from the ovum to make room for the chromatin of
the fertilizing spermatozo["o]n; but their functions are
not fully understood.

{Polar circles} (Astron. & Geog.), two circles, each at a
distance from a pole of the earth equal to the obliquity
of the ecliptic, or about 23[deg] 28', the northern called
the arctic circle, and the southern the antarctic circle.


{Polar clock}, a tube, containing a polarizing apparatus,
turning on an axis parallel to that of the earth, and
indicating the hour of the day on an hour circle, by being
turned toward the plane of maximum polarization of the
light of the sky, which is always 90[deg] from the sun.

{Polar co["o]rdinates}. See under 3d {Co["o]rdinate}.

{Polar dial}, a dial whose plane is parallel to a great
circle passing through the poles of the earth. --Math.
Dict.

{Polar distance}, the angular distance of any point on a
sphere from one of its poles, particularly of a heavenly
body from the north pole of the heavens.

{Polar equation of a line} or {surface}, an equation which
expresses the relation between the polar co["o]rdinates of
every point of the line or surface.

{Polar forces} (Physics), forces that are developed and act
in pairs, with opposite tendencies or properties in the
two elements, as magnetism, electricity, etc.

{Polar hare} (Zo["o]l.), a large hare of Arctic America
({Lepus arcticus}), which turns pure white in winter. It
is probably a variety of the common European hare ({L.
timidus}).

{Polar lights}, the aurora borealis or australis.

{Polar}, or {Polaric}, {opposition} or {contrast} (Logic), an
opposition or contrast made by the existence of two
opposite conceptions which are the extremes in a species,
as white and black in colors; hence, as great an
opposition or contrast as possible.

{Polar projection}. See under {Projection}.

{Polar spherical triangle} (Spherics), a spherical triangle
whose three angular points are poles of the sides of a
given triangle. See 4th {Pole}, 2.

{Polar whale} (Zo["o]l.), the right whale, or bowhead. See
{Whale}.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Priory \Pri"o*ry\, n.; pl. {Priories}. [Cf. LL. prioria. See
{Prior}, n.]
A religious house presided over by a prior or prioress; --
sometimes an offshoot of, an subordinate to, an abbey, and
called also {cell}, and {obedience}. See {Cell}, 2.

Note: Of such houses there were two sorts: one where the
prior was chosen by the inmates, and governed as
independently as an abbot in an abbey; the other where
the priory was subordinate to an abbey, and the prior
was placed or displaced at the will of the abbot.

{Alien priory}, a small religious house dependent on a large
monastery in some other country.

Syn: See {Cloister}.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Cell \Cell\, n. [OF. celle, fr. L. cella; akin to celare to
hide, and E. hell, helm, conceal. Cf. {Hall}.]
1. A very small and close apartment, as in a prison or in a
monastery or convent; the hut of a hermit.

The heroic confessor in his cell. --Macaulay.

2. A small religious house attached to a monastery or
convent. ``Cells or dependent priories.'' --Milman.

3. Any small cavity, or hollow place.

4. (Arch.)
(a) The space between the ribs of a vaulted roof.
(b) Same as {Cella}.

5. (Elec.) A jar of vessel, or a division of a compound
vessel, for holding the exciting fluid of a battery.

6. (Biol.) One of the minute elementary structures, of which
the greater part of the various tissues and organs of
animals and plants are composed.

Note: All cells have their origin in the primary cell from
which the organism was developed. In the lowest animal
and vegetable forms, one single cell constitutes the
complete individual, such being called unicelluter
orgamisms. A typical cell is composed of a semifluid
mass of protoplasm, more or less granular, generally
containing in its center a nucleus which in turn
frequently contains one or more nucleoli, the whole
being surrounded by a thin membrane, the cell wall. In
some cells, as in those of blood, in the am[oe]ba, and
in embryonic cells (both vegetable and animal), there
is no restricting cell wall, while in some of the
unicelluliar organisms the nucleus is wholly wanting.
See Illust. of {Bipolar}.

{Air cell}. See {Air cell}.

{Cell development} (called also {cell genesis}, {cell
formation}, and {cytogenesis}), the multiplication, of
cells by a process of reproduction under the following
common forms; segmentation or fission, gemmation or
budding, karyokinesis, and endogenous multiplication. See
{Segmentation}, {Gemmation}, etc.

{Cell theory}. (Biol.) See {Cellular theory}, under
{Cellular}.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Cell \Cell\ (s[e^]l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Celled} (s[e^]ld).]
To place or inclose in a cell. ``Celled under ground.'' [R.]
--Warner.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

cell
n 1: any small compartment; "the cells of a honeycomb"
2: the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms;
cells may exist as independent units of life (as in
monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher
plants and animals
3: a device that delivers an electric current as the result of
a chemical reaction [syn: {electric cell}]
4: a small unit serving as the nucleus of a larger political
movement [syn: {cadre}]
5: small room is which a monk or nun lives [syn: {cubicle}]
6: a room where a prisoner is kept [syn: {jail cell}, {prison
cell}]


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