cistern

[ sis-tern ]

/ ˈsɪs tərn /

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See synonyms for cistern on Thesaurus.com

noun

a reservoir, tank, or container for storing or holding water or other liquid.

Anatomy. a reservoir or receptacle of some natural fluid of the body.

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Origin of cistern

1250–1300; Middle English cistern(e) <Latin cisterna, equivalent to cist(a) (see cist¹) + -erna noun suffix

Words nearby cistern

cissus, Cissy, cist, cistaceous, Cistercian, cistern, cisterna, cisternal puncture, cistern barometer, cisternography, cis-trans test

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use cistern in a sentence

Many middle- and upper-class families have water tanks and cisterns at their homes.
Drought in Mexico leads to water rationing, theft|Karina Tsui, Alejandra Ibarra Chaoul|August 3, 2022|Washington Post
Lastly, he confirms that the water level in the lavatory water cistern hasn’t changed.
Cryptographers Achieve Perfect Secrecy With Imperfect Devices|Mordechai Rorvig|February 25, 2022|Quanta Magazine
The company warned residents in the affected community Wednesday “to disconnect downspouts to cisterns if accessible” and not drink the water.
St. Croix refinery halts operations after raining oil on local residents once again|Juliet Eilperin|May 13, 2021|Washington Post
The fine mist of oil and water from Limetree Bay Refining rained down on the community of Clifton Hill, showering the slick mix onto cars, gardens, rooftops and cisterns filled with rainwater that residents use for daily tasks.
The island where it rained oil|Juliet Eilperin, Darryl Fears, Salwan Georges|March 25, 2021|Washington Post

To contain the spills, Pacific Coast Energy installed wide, short cisterns, or “cans,” stuck into the earth like straws, from which frothy water and oil can be vacuumed.
Oil Companies Are Profiting From Illegal Spills. And California Lets Them.|by Janet Wilson, The Desert Sun, and Lylla Younes, ProPublica|September 18, 2020|ProPublica
The waste steam puffed through a launder into the feed-cistern.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
This was done with water in the cistern round the condenser, which water came up to 180 degrees of heat, and remained so.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
From this cistern large earthen pipes led off in various directions to irrigate the terraces below.
Overland|John William De Forest
So they picks up the flatirons, and as they picks em up they come a splashing noise in the cistern.
Danny's Own Story|Don Marquis
The water having failed in the cistern on the Tuesday, she had recourse to that in the water-tub in the back kitchen.
The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 1/2|Camden Pelham

British Dictionary definitions for cistern

cistern

/ (ˈsɪstən) /

noun

a tank for the storage of water, esp on or within the roof of a house or connected to a WC

an underground reservoir for the storage of a liquid, esp rainwater

anatomy another name for cisterna

Derived forms of cistern

cisternal (sɪˈstɜːnəl), adjective

Word Origin for cistern

C13: from Old French cisterne, from Latin cisterna underground tank, from cista box

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

Medical definitions for cistern

cistern

[ sĭs′tərn ]

A cisterna.

cistern

Origin of cistern

Words nearby cistern

Words related to cistern

How to use cistern in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cistern

Derived forms of cistern

Word Origin for cistern

Medical definitions for cistern