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
Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & Spa offers rooms in some of those many caves and a spa set in the ancient underground cisterns.
—
Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
Consider adding rain barrels or cisterns to capture and store water for dry times.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 May 2026
In both Wilde’s play and Strauss’s opera, Salome is obsessed with Jokanaan (John the Baptist), who is being held as a political prisoner in a cistern, his disembodied voice floating around the stage.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
The find included six large rooms, including one almost 1,000 square feet in area, and the remains of olive oil production equipment, channels for funneling the oil into collection basins, a cistern for storing the oil, and pieces of ceramic vessels.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cistern
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Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
Consider adding rain barrels or cisterns to capture and store water for dry times.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 May 2026
In both Wilde’s play and Strauss’s opera, Salome is obsessed with Jokanaan (John the Baptist), who is being held as a political prisoner in a cistern, his disembodied voice floating around the stage.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
The find included six large rooms, including one almost 1,000 square feet in area, and the remains of olive oil production equipment, channels for funneling the oil into collection basins, a cistern for storing the oil, and pieces of ceramic vessels.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cistern
Cite this Entry
“Cistern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cistern. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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