Word
cell phone
Definition
compound. A small phone that you can carry with you and use anywhere. In British English, people usually call this a 'mobile phone'.
compound. A portable, wireless telephone that transmits signals via a cellular network. This is the standard term in American English.
Examples
“I can't find my cell phone.”
“She checked her cell phone for messages as soon as the plane landed.”
“The proliferation of the cell phone has fundamentally reshaped modern communication and social etiquette.”
Examples
simple
“I can't find my cell phone.”
contextual
“She checked her cell phone for messages as soon as the plane landed.”
complex
“The proliferation of the cell phone has fundamentally reshaped modern communication and social etiquette.”
Usage
This is the primary term in American English; the British English equivalent is 'mobile phone'.
Teaching tip
This is a compound noun where the stress falls on the first word, 'CELL phone', to distinguish it from a simple adjective-noun pair.
Pitfall
I bought a new cellphone.
I bought a new cell phone.
Although the one-word spelling is common, 'cell phone' as two words is the more standard form.
Etymology
Clipping of cellular phone.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.