1
: an artificial reservoir (such as an underground tank) for storing liquids and especially water (such as rainwater)
2
: a large usually silver vessel formerly used (as in cooling wine) at the dining table
3
: a fluid-containing sac or cavity in an organism
Examples of cistern in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Brazil has built one million cisterns in its semiarid northeast to ensure adequate water supplies during extended dry seasons.
—
Alice Hill, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2025
The ruins of ancient temples, roads, a harbor and a cistern for collecting rainwater lie near Turkey’s western coast.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025
Fill gullies, add mulch where it’s washed away, ensure downspouts are seated in rain barrels, cisterns, or daylight to spread water over the soil.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2025
Of particular note: the intact Corinthian portico columns; the subterranean arched architecture, aqueduct and cistern system; and graffiti adorning merchant stalls believed to be more than 1,500 years old.
—Alex Crevar, New York Times, 11 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for cistern
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Alice Hill, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2025
The ruins of ancient temples, roads, a harbor and a cistern for collecting rainwater lie near Turkey’s western coast.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025
Fill gullies, add mulch where it’s washed away, ensure downspouts are seated in rain barrels, cisterns, or daylight to spread water over the soil.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2025
Of particular note: the intact Corinthian portico columns; the subterranean arched architecture, aqueduct and cistern system; and graffiti adorning merchant stalls believed to be more than 1,500 years old.
—Alex Crevar, New York Times, 11 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for cistern
Cite this Entry
“Cistern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cistern. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cistern
noun
cis·tern
ˈsis-tərn 
: an artificial reservoir or tank for storing water usually underground
Medical Definition
cistern
noun
cis·tern
ˈsis-tərn
: a fluid-containing sac or cavity in an organism
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