canister

American  

[kan-uh-ster] / ˈkæn ə stər /

noun

• canisters
  plural

1. a small box or jar, often one of a kitchen set, for holding tea, coffee, flour, and sugar.

2. Also called canister shot. case shot.

3. the part of a gas mask containing the neutralizing substances through which poisoned air is filtered.

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canister British  

/ ˈkænɪstə /

noun

1. a container, usually made of metal, in which dry food, such as tea or coffee, is stored

2. 1. a type of shrapnel shell for firing from a cannon

   2. Also called: canister shot, case shot. the shot or shrapnel packed inside this

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• canisters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of canister

1670–80; < Latin canistrum wicker basket < Greek kánastron, derivative of kánna reed ( see cane), with -astron, variant of -tron suffix of instrument (probably from verbal derivatives, as stégastron covering, from stegázein to cover)

Explanation

A canister is a small container with a lid, often made of metal. You might keep a canister of sugar in your kitchen next to a canister of tea. Typically, a canister is round and has a fitted lid — while kitchen canisters are usually metal, the canisters that hold a roll of camera film are made of plastic. Another type of canister is a cylinder that's packed with shot or filled with pressurized gas and shot out of a weapon. In the 15th century, the word meant "basket," from the Latin canistrum, "wicker basket," with its Greek root kanystron, "basket made of reeds." The meaning of canister probably changed to "metal container" because of the word can.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

canister canisters

At one training company visited by AFP, humans holding what looked like PlayStation controllers repeated a single task -- folding clothes, moving blocks, spraying a canister -- as humanoid partners mirrored their actions.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Machin said the scale of the latest canister find was far beyond what volunteers normally collect during a session, which is between three and 12 on average.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

It was rescued and saved by Rick Flagan, a professor of chemical engineering and environmental science, who found it in a tin film canister in a Caltech closet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

One indelible image of Metro Surge was of Bovino, emerging from an SUV into a wintry melee, like a general stepping onto a battlefield, and launching a canister that released green smoke at protesters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

A tall canister of coconut oil gleamed in the flickering light of the brass lamp.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Large black canisters sat nearby on the road, the images showed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

To avoid bear encounters, Fish and Wildlife recommends removing unsecured food from cars and tents, using bear-resistant food canisters or bear lockers, and regularly disposing trash.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026

He also said volunteers are increasingly finding larger canisters rather than the smaller silver versions that were once more common.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The main long-term risks are corrosion of the copper canisters or earthquakes during future ice ages, which could potentially damage the capsules and cause radioactive fuel to leak, Kyllonen said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

She stood at their booth holding up two large canisters, both dripping with condensation from the cold ice cream inside.

From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Related Words

• bag
• bottle
• bowl
• box
• bucket
• can
• capsule
• carton
• crate
• dish
• jar
• jug
• kettle
• package
• packet
• pail
• pot
• pouch
• sack
• storage