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 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

But she, and New York Times journalists observing the raid, were soon distracted by a group of cockroaches scurrying past an oil canister. — Zishaan A Latif, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

The canister system is designed to handle spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste from both legacy and advanced reactors through storage, transportation, and eventual disposal. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

Police in the lead, armed with canister launchers, wore standard BDUs (battle dress uniforms) under exoskeletal riot gear. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 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)