cistern
Americannoun
-
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.
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
Other Word Forms
- cisternal adjective
Etymology
Origin of cistern
1250–1300; Middle English cistern ( e ) < Latin cisterna, equivalent to cist ( a ) ( cist 1 ) + -erna noun suffix
Explanation
A cistern is an underground tank that holds water. A long time ago, cistern water was used for drinking, but nowadays developed parts of the world mainly use it for watering plants and flushing toilets. The oldest cisterns that we know of were built in the Middle East about 12,000 years ago, which is around when farming was invented. That's no coincidence. It would be tough to collect enough water to grow barley and wheat without storing the water in something, especially in a place as dry as the Middle East.
Vocabulary lists containing cistern
The Magician's Nephew
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Surviving Hitler
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Civil Engineering
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“When I drive through my neighborhood, there are plenty of little park spaces, public spaces, where you could put a really large cistern that firefighters could tap into,” Quinn said.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025
Peter Vincent, who lives in Grove Hill, said he noticed that the "cistern wasn't refilling properly" on Sunday morning.
From BBC • Nov. 30, 2025
Dressed in a Carhartt hoodie and knit cap, he watches a backhoe operator dig a pit for a cistern, which will connect to the new sink that will be installed in the kitchen.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2024
Near the village of Jaun, a construction crew was laying pipes to deliver electricity and water from a new cistern to six local farms.
From New York Times • Jan. 21, 2024
I made my way over to the flat roof of the town hall and climbed the ladder to the cistern.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
