People who share a prison cell together, forced to live in close quarters as inmates.
Compound of 'cell' (from Latin 'cella,' small room) and 'mates' (from Old English 'gemaca,' companion). The term emerged in the 1800s as modern prison systems developed standardized cell housing.
Prison cellmates form some of the most intense human bonds possible—living in a space smaller than a school bus with a stranger creates either lasting friendship or permanent tension. Criminologists study cellmate compatibility because it actually affects prisoner rehabilitation rates.
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