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

• barrel
• can
• drum
• tin

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 suspect was carrying eight pepper spray canisters and two smoke cannisters. —Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 7 May 2025

Residents will see metallic air-sampling canisters at the testing locations either hung from a fence or held up on a tripod, according to the department's fact sheet. —Doug Thompson, Arkansas Online, 2 May 2025

The cards were folded, sealed in small opaque canisters and placed into a fishbowl. —Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 23 Apr. 2025

What's more, a small gas canister provides around four hours on a midrange heat setting – which is more than enough to cook a weekend's worth of food. —New Atlas, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin canistrum basket, from Greek kanastron wicker basket, from kanna reed — more at cane

First Known Use

1692, 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)