In database terminology, a cell is a part of a table where a row and column intersect. A cell is designed to hold a specified portion of the data within a record. A cell is sometimes referred to as a field (although a column is also often referred to as a field).

A table row is made up of one or more cells running next to each other horizontally. A column is made up of one or more cells running below each other vertically.

Database columns are typically assigned a data type, which determines the type of data that each cell within that column is allowed to hold. All cells within a column will therefore share a data type.

Because each column can have a different data type, this enables each record/row to contain a mixture of data types.

For example, a single record could contain a name, a phone number, an email address, and a date – each one of these being contained within its own cell.