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 of canister

• barrel
• tin
• drum
• 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

An outdoor area appears to contain tanks and other canisters. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026

The man who authorities said breached the perimeter of Mar-a-Lago wielding a shotgun and a gas canister early Sunday had never shown an appetite for deadly weapons nor shown much interest in politics -- in fact, quite the opposite, according to his cousin. —ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026

Save 34 percent on these canisters by 10 Strawberry Street and use them to store tea, cookies, and more. —Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026

Among them were a Mac-10 sub-machine gun with an ammunition magazine and muzzle suppressor, a Russian Saiga rifle and a firearm resembling those meant to fire gas canisters or explosive rounds, the complaint reads. —Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1711, 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)