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 colonel’s other collections included old schoolroom maps, books, a museum’s worth of vintage toys in what’s now the yoga studio, and old-fashioned canisters—açucar, feijão, arroz, all written in script—in the houses’ kitchens. —Ann Abel, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

The system weighs in well under a pound at 13.1 oz (371 g), not including the butane canister that is sold separately. —New Atlas, 21 Mar. 2025

This drink can also be made without nitro and the canister. —Patrice J. Williams, Essence, 15 Mar. 2025

Protesters were at one point forcibly removed from the area with smoke canisters and pepper spray just before Trump, who was in his first term, walked through Lafayette Park to pose for photographs at a nearby church. —Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 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)