What is the Definition of a Lisp Cons Cell?

Question

What exactly is the definition of a Common Lisp Cons Cell? How is a Cons Cell different than a standard linked list item? After all, both the cons cell and the linked list item have a value and a pointer to the next cell or item... or is this understanding wrong?

Answer 1

Cons cells in general hold two pointers that can point to anything. General usage of course is to point to a "value" with the left one, and to another Cons cell (or nil) with the "right" one.

Answer 2

A cons cell is closer to a binary tree node than a linked list node. car and cdr return the two children, which can be nil, atoms, or other cons cells.