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

Students at a Queens junior high school narrowly avoided being dosed by pepper-spray after a canister of the nonlethal weapon was accidentally discharged during a fight in the school’s cafeteria Monday, cops said. —Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026

But as Israel closed checkpoints to the movement of people and goods on Saturday, gas stations saw longer-than-usual lines as residents filled spare canisters in case of supply disruptions. —Claudia Ciobanu, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026

But as Israel closed checkpoints to the movement of people and goods on Saturday, gas stations saw longer-than-usual lines as residents filled spare canisters in case of supply disruptions. —Claudia Ciobanu, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026

Clearly, Epson is targeting a design-conscious user, competing more with lifestyle projectors like Samsung’s Freestyle canister flavors than traditional home theater projectors. —New Atlas, 27 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)