canister

noun

can·​is·​ter ˈka-nə-stər 

variants or less commonly cannister

1

: an often cylindrical container for holding a usually specified object or substance

a film canister

2

: encased shot for close-range artillery fire

3

: a perforated metal box for gas masks with material to adsorb, filter, or detoxify airborne poisons and irritants

Synonyms

• barrel
• can
• drum
• tin

Examples of canister in a Sentence

she put the store-bought cookies in a fancy canister to make them look homemade

Recent Examples on the Web

In Tucson, police fired tear gas canisters into a crowd of demonstrators and tore down the encampment at the University of Arizona, the Associated Press reported. —Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024

Investigators later determined that 144 oxygen-generating canisters were improperly secured, labeled and packaged in the cargo hold of the plane. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 10 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin canistrum basket, from Greek kanastron wicker basket, from kanna reed — more at cane

First Known Use

1692, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

canister

noun

can·​is·​ter

variants also cannister

ˈkan-ə-stər 

: a small box or can for holding a dry product (as coffee, flour, or sugar)