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

At coastal nuclear facilities, salty air can enter through these openings and contribute to corrosion of the steel canisters. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

There, a canister logged as CCUT89 drew his attention since the British censors had cut 89 seconds out of the film. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026

Designed to attach to any pair of bib shorts and sit flush under any cycling jersey, the Aerobag is basically a TPU vest equipped with a proprietary CO2 canister and nine motion sensors. — Adam Schram, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

The overall look suggests a fuel canister, while physical features such as the bump guards that surround the front-panel buttons and the flip-up cover over the reset button recall fighter-jet controls. — Thomas Soderstrom, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 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)