cist

[ sist ]

/ sɪst /

noun Classical Antiquity.

a box or chest, especially for sacred utensils.

Nearby words

Origin of cist

1795–1805; < Latin cista < Greek kístē chest

Definition for cist (2 of 2)

cist

[ sist, kist ]

/ sɪst, kɪst /

noun

a prehistoric sepulchral tomb or casket.

Also kist.

Origin of cist

1795–1805; < Welsh < Latin cista. See cist¹

Related formscist·ed, adjectivecis·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cist

Mr. Merritt and others mention that in some of the graves pillars are employed to support the roof of the cist.
Ancient art of the province of Chiriqui, Colombia|William Henry Holmes
A third urn was found a few feet from the cist, filled, like the two others, with ashes and half-burnt bones.
The Archaeology and Prehistoric Annals of Scotland|Daniel Wilson
Cist troi homme signifïent trois ordenes ki sunt en sainte eglise.
A Short History of French Literature|George Saintsbury
In the charioteer's cist were also found the bridle-bits, rings, buckles, and others of the metallic furnishings of the harness.
The Archaeology and Prehistoric Annals of Scotland|Daniel Wilson

An immense number was there discovered in 1854 hidden together in a cist, the value of the whole being estimated at over £3,000.
The Glories of Ireland|Edited by Joseph Dunn and P.J. Lennox

British Dictionary definitions for cist (1 of 2)

cist

/ (sɪst) /

noun

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

Word Origin for cist

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

British Dictionary definitions for cist (2 of 2)

cist

kist

/ (sɪst) /

noun

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

Word Origin for cist

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cist

cist

"sepulchral chest or chamber," 1804, in some cases from Latin cista "wickerwork basket, box," from Greek kiste "box, chest" (see chest); according to OED, in some cases from Welsh cist in cist faen "stone coffin," the first element of which is from the Latin word.