Meanings
nounsleeper cell (plural sleeper cells)
plural sleeper cells
- A group of people (sleepers) who inconspicuously remain dormant in a community until activated, by a prearranged signal, in order to perform acts of espionage, sabotage, or terrorism.
Translations
Arabic خَلِيَّة نَائِمَة
- خَلِيَّة نَائِمَةgroup of people who remain dormant in a community until activated
Chinese Mandarin 潛伏小組 /潜伏小组
- 潛伏小組 /潜伏小组 (qiánfú xiǎozǔ)group of people who remain dormant in a community until activated
Finnish nukkuva solu
- nukkuva solugroup of people who remain dormant in a community until activated
French cellule dormante
- cellule dormantegroup of people who remain dormant in a community until activated
German Schläferzelle
- Schläferzellegroup of people who remain dormant in a community until activated
Icelandic svefnsella
- svefnsellagroup of people who remain dormant in a community until activated
Portuguese célula adormecida, célula dormente
- célula adormecidagroup of people who remain dormant in a community until activated
- célula dormentegroup of people who remain dormant in a community until activated
Russian спя́щая яче́йка
- спя́щая яче́йка (spjáščaja jačéjka)group of people who remain dormant in a community until activated
Cite this entry
APA
sleeper cell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sleeper%20cell
MLA
“sleeper cell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sleeper%20cell. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sleeper cell,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sleeper%20cell.
Source: sleeper cell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.