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

The system combines SpearUAV’s canister-launch architecture with Rafael’s warhead and guidance integration, producing a weapon that can be deployed by infantry as well as armor units. —Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026

The oversized canister, unveiled earlier this month, is designed to hold three full-sized Coors Light cans at once. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 17 June 2026

Hold your canister or the opened up vacuum over the trash and tap out the contents. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 June 2026

Ford said the canister purge valve may stick open, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly while driving, increasing the risk of a crash and injury. —CBS News, 13 June 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)