cist

¹

[ sist ]

noun

, Classical Antiquity.

1. a box or chest, especially for sacred utensils.

cist

²

[ sist, kist ]

noun

1. a prehistoric sepulchral tomb or casket.

cist

¹

/ sɪst /

noun

1. a wooden box for holding ritual objects used in ancient Rome and Greece

cist

²

/ sɪst /

noun

1. archaeol a box-shaped burial chamber made from stone slabs or a hollowed tree trunk

Other Words From

• cisted adjective
• cistic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cist¹

1795–1805; < Latin cista < Greek kístē chest

Origin of cist²

1795–1805; < Welsh < Latin cista. See cist ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of cist¹

C19: from Latin cista box, chest, basket, from Greek kistē

Origin of cist²

C19: from Welsh: chest, from Latin cista box; see cist ¹

Example Sentences

In it were two burials, the first in a pottery cist placed in one corner of the well at 1·5 metres from the surface.

From Project Gutenberg

Below this cist lay another body in a wooden box painted white.

From Project Gutenberg

In the filling were fragments of Old Kingdom pottery, of a broken pottery cist, and of the rude pottery bars.

From Project Gutenberg

In one instance the cist was found between walls and beneath a roof of sandstone blocks.

From Project Gutenberg

A complete skeleton in a stone cist is now lying in a glass case in the museum.

From Project Gutenberg