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

• tin
• barrel
• bucket

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

Photos and videos from the scene show Chicago residents fleeing as agents fired tear gas canisters. —Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025

Taking a seat in a small room crammed full of film canisters, Butler took a moment to look at the script before him. —Jay Glennie, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025

Bovino was accused of throwing at least one tear gas canister into a crowd of protesters the following day in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, per CNN, potentially violating a judge’s temporary restraining order banning the use of such tactics in the city. —Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Hold your canister or the opened up vacuum over the trash and tap out the contents. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for canister

• banister

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)