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.
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
Juliet Harbutt2
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
Wine Enthusiast MagazineSynonyms
Examples of cellar in a Sentence
Noun
The cellar has a dirt floor.
a restaurant with an impressive cellar
Recent Examples on the WebLuke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
It was thought completely lost until a print was discovered in Oregon buried under a cellar floor and coated in machine oil.
—Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Wayne Tinkle cannot haul Oregon State out of the cellar.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
Grapes will be harvested by leading vintners in the region, produced and aged in cellars on-site.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2024
This celebrates the 76th Vintage of the House, with its label showing only the white vintage mark used in the cellars.
—John Mariani, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Her parents found ways to support themselves while living in a dank cellar.
—Cynthia Greenlee, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024
Colorado Rockies Another year, another year in the cellar for the Rockies.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024
Cool climate Syrah from Santa Rita Hill, Mornington Peninsula, or Northern Rhone all have a special place in my heart and cellar as well.
—Noël Burgess, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 30 Mar. 2024
This has the structure and depth of fruit to cellar for another 10-20 years.
—Tom Hyland, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
No conference is strong from roof to cellar in the revenue-making sports — football and basketball.
—Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022
This handy gadget will bring reds to cellar temperature in 15 minutes and keep your whites cool for about 60 minutes.
—Maureen Farrar, Outside Online, 9 June 2022
Definitely a wine to cellar for a special occasion.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 2 Sep. 2021
Classic example that can cellar for a few more years.
—Lana Bortolot, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2021
Former President Bill Clinton cellared Grand Staircase-Escalante a national monument in 1996 and former President Barack Obama protected Bears Ears in 2016, both using the 1906 Antiquities Act.
—TheWeek, 7 Feb. 2020
Also, grab an extra bottle to cellar for next year; this is one of those beers that gets better with age.
—Ac Shilton, Outside Online, 6 Dec. 2019
Noun
Some of the men in the cellar were more senior fighters.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
It was thought completely lost until a print was discovered in Oregon buried under a cellar floor and coated in machine oil.
—Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Wayne Tinkle cannot haul Oregon State out of the cellar.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
Grapes will be harvested by leading vintners in the region, produced and aged in cellars on-site.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2024
This celebrates the 76th Vintage of the House, with its label showing only the white vintage mark used in the cellars.
—John Mariani, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Her parents found ways to support themselves while living in a dank cellar.
—Cynthia Greenlee, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024
Colorado Rockies Another year, another year in the cellar for the Rockies.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024
Cool climate Syrah from Santa Rita Hill, Mornington Peninsula, or Northern Rhone all have a special place in my heart and cellar as well.
—Noël Burgess, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
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
This has the structure and depth of fruit to cellar for another 10-20 years.
—Tom Hyland, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
No conference is strong from roof to cellar in the revenue-making sports — football and basketball.
—Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022
This handy gadget will bring reds to cellar temperature in 15 minutes and keep your whites cool for about 60 minutes.
—Maureen Farrar, Outside Online, 9 June 2022
Definitely a wine to cellar for a special occasion.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 2 Sep. 2021
Classic example that can cellar for a few more years.
—Lana Bortolot, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2021
Former President Bill Clinton cellared Grand Staircase-Escalante a national monument in 1996 and former President Barack Obama protected Bears Ears in 2016, both using the 1906 Antiquities Act.
—TheWeek, 7 Feb. 2020
Also, grab an extra bottle to cellar for next year; this is one of those beers that gets better with age.
—Ac Shilton, Outside Online, 6 Dec. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cellar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cellar
Cite this Entry
“Cellar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellar. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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