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.

---

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

---

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

Five people were taken to hospital after a gas canister exploded during a charity event at a farm in Cheshire.

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026

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

From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2026

He put the lid back on the canister.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

The canisters will be lowered into holes drilled in the tunnels, before the holes are filled with bentonite clay to seal them, Parviainen explained.

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

The man wanted the researcher to go back to his home to receive the canisters, but she refused.

From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026

So he just picked up the canisters of salt and flour and followed her back to class.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

Related Words

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