microcelln.
/ˈmʌɪkrə(ʊ)sɛl/, U.S. /ˈmaɪkroʊˌsɛl/, /ˈmaɪkrəˌsɛl/ 1. A small cell of any kind.
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1879 Eng. Mechanic 9 May 199/1 If the cell and the micro-cell are connected separately to the galvanometer, it will show that the large cell can furnish a current hundreds of times greater than the little one.
1905 Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci. 19 413 Besides the cells proper, or microcells as they really are, all deciduous trees have larger pores or crude sap ducts.
1940 Science 22 Nov. 490/1 Micro-cells may be formed by means of thin rubber gaskets.
1971 J. I. Pankove Optical Processes in Semiconductors (1975) 329 The film is assumed to consist of elementary microcells separated by insulating layers.
2001 C. T. Morae et al. in L. A. Pon & E. A. Schon Mitochondria xxii. 408 The presence of a few microcells containing several micronuclei suggests that clones containing more than one donor chromosome could be generated during fusion.
2. Telecommunications. Originally: a small area of cellular network coverage, typically encompassing a building or street. In later use chiefly: a small cellular base station for providing such coverage, typically used to improve mobile phone reception within a particular area. Cf. cell n.1 21.A microcell is typically considered to be larger than a picocell.
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1983 33rd IEEE Vehicular Technol. Conf. 247 The microcell system employs a microzone concept where base stations are located at street intersections.
1991 Economist 5 Oct. 16/1 The commercial launch of ‘microcells’. These would link each cellular transmission point to mobile telephones within a radius of perhaps only a few hundred yards.
2001 Network World 25 June 56/3 The micro cells would be used for outdoor coverage, where high capacity is required and larger cells cannot cover.
2010 Hamilton (Ont.) Spectator (Nexis) 13 Sept. a12 To shift the burden on its network to the Internet, AT&T is selling microcells to its cellphone customers, to install in their homes.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1879