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

An empty steel canister sat on a cleared drill pad, waiting to go down a second hole this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

The kids, meanwhile, took selfies, while one appeared to be holding a red canister.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Family members say police officers suggested he may have been killed by a tear-gas canister rather than a bullet.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

“Third warning. Gas, gas, gas,” Bovino says, then tossing the canister and pushing people away from the intersection.

From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2026

Portia extinguishes them with some kind of spray from a canister.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Prosecutors say Diaz was seen leaving and returning to the warehouse with two gas canisters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Above ground, the spent nuclear fuel will be encapsulated in highly corrosion-resistent copper canisters.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

Urine is stored in a tank and is vented out each day; solids are stored in canisters designed to control odor and gas buildup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026

Several explosions from exploding oxygen canisters within the ambulances caused windows of nearby buildings, including the synagogue to crack or shatter - however no injuries were reported.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026

The shop was dark with the blinds down, but I could see framed portraits, film canisters, and camera parts on the shelves.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

Related Words

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