Meaning & use
wet cells
Last updated
Meaning
nounpluraltechnical
A type of electric battery in which the electrolyte is a liquid solution, such as the lead-acid battery in cars.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural to talk about the category; a single one is 'a wet cell'.
Patterns
- a wet cell battery
- wet cells produce electricity
Car batteries are wet cells because they contain liquid sulfuric acid.
The museum displays early wet cells used in telegraph systems.
Wet cells must be kept upright so the liquid electrolyte does not spill.
Word forms
| singular | wet cell |
|---|
Common combinations
- wet cell battery
- A wet cell battery needs regular checks of its water level.
- liquid electrolyte
- The liquid electrolyte in a wet cell allows ions to move.
- lead-acid wet cell
- The lead-acid wet cell is still common in older cars.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wet battery
- A broader term that can include several wet cells connected together.
- secondary cell
- A technical term for a rechargeable cell; most wet cells are secondary cells, but the terms are not identical.
Opposites
Word family
- wet cell noun
- The singular form, meaning one such battery.
- dry cell noun
- A battery with a paste electrolyte, not a liquid.
Commonly confused: wet cells or wet room?
wet cells vs wet room
A wet room is a bathroom with a waterproof floor and no separate shower tray. Wet cells are batteries.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'wet cells' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Wet cells are batteries with liquid electrolyte, so they belong in a car battery. Option A confuses them with wet rooms, and options C and D describe unrelated things.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wet cells”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.