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

Crews have drilled a 6,000-foot data acquisition well and recently delivered a prototype reactor canister to the location, marking another step toward validating the underground deployment concept. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026

Because the effect is so short, a user chasing it can go through dozens of canisters in a sitting. — Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Another 13 canisters of material from the dismantlement that are classified as greater than Class C waste sit in the horizontal storage site. — Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

An investigation by the bomb squad quickly cleared the canister and roads have since reopened. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 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)