cistern

noun

cis·​tern ˈsi-stərn 

1

: an artificial reservoir (such as an underground tank) for storing liquids and especially water (such as rainwater)

2

: a large usually silver vessel formerly used (as in cooling wine) at the dining table

3

: a fluid-containing sac or cavity in an organism

Examples of cistern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The subterranean complex served many purposes over the centuries, first as stone quarries and later as water cisterns before eventually housing commercial structures and warehouses. —Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 23 July 2025

Or check out the old water cistern, half-hidden in the golden light, where Julia and her cookbook co-author, Simone Beck, had dunked themselves, laughing, to escape the summer heat. —Karen Yuan, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2025

This includes a robust landscape management plan to fire-harden the site, restore native vegetation, install an underground cistern to support emergency response, and embrace emerging exterior fire protection technologies. —Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 18 July 2025

Flakes were borne onto the deserted train station and decommissioned cisterns. —Nathan Fields, The New York Review of Books, 3 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin cisterna, from cista box, chest — more at chest

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cistern

noun

cis·​tern ˈsis-tərn 

: an artificial reservoir or tank for storing water usually underground

Medical Definition

cistern

noun

cis·​tern ˈsis-tərn 

: a fluid-containing sac or cavity in an organism