cellar

1 of 2

noun

cel·​lar ˈse-lər 

1

a

: a room or set of rooms below the ground floor of a building : basement

There's storage space in the cellar.

b(1)

: a room for storing wines : wine cellar

(2)

: a stock of wines

a restaurant with an impressive cellar

2

: the lowest grade or rank

especially : the lowest place in the standings (as of an athletic league)

The team spent most of last year in the cellar.

cellar

2 of 2

verb

cellared; cellaring

1

transitive : to put or keep (something, such as wine or cheese) in a cellar for storage or aging

Each batch is handmade to achieve a delicate soft texture, then cellared for a month to complete the aging …

—Juliet Harbutt

2

intransitive : to be stored in a cellar : to undergo aging while being stored in a cellar

Perfectly drinkable now, but will cellar nicely for another 3–5 years.

—Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Synonyms

Noun

• basement

Examples of cellar in a Sentence

Noun

The cellar has a dirt floor.

a restaurant with an impressive cellar

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The wood extracts are less intense in a dry cellar. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024

The cellar walls are lined with demijohns, while at our feet yawn the mouths of three qvevris, their bodies sunk deep into the earth beneath the concrete foundation. —Kurt Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Dec. 2024

Verb

Given that the wines will cellar with grace and promise over two decades, now is certainly the time to pick up some bargains and fill the racks. —Paul Caputo, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

It will be matured in the family’s Ursulines cellars for another 12 to 15 months before bottling and then be released after an additional four years. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 30 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English celer "storeroom, underground chamber," borrowed from Anglo-French, "storeroom," going back to Latin cellārium, from cella "store, larder, small room" + -ārium -ary entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1551, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cellar

• cellar dweller
• cellar master
• cyclone cellar
• root cellar
• storm cellar
• sub-cellar
• wine cellar

Kids Definition

cellar

noun

cel·​lar

ˈsel-ər

: a room or set of rooms below the surface of the ground : basement