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
Solar panels also were added to the park in 2017 and 2018, and a cistern was installed to collect water from the splash pad, which was repurposed for the irrigation of the sports fields. —
Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026 The park has a full-size soccer field, a sunken basketball court that doubles as a reservoir, a long wooden walkway raised above plantings and tall grasses, a community pavilion, a café, and a fifty-thousand-gallon cistern that captures rain for irrigation. —Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 She’s taken, perversely, with John the Baptist, imprisoned in a cistern and prophesying doom for the decadent, Godless heathens, Salome in particular. —Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 The household might pull just half a foot from the cistern per month. —Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 2 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cistern
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026 The park has a full-size soccer field, a sunken basketball court that doubles as a reservoir, a long wooden walkway raised above plantings and tall grasses, a community pavilion, a café, and a fifty-thousand-gallon cistern that captures rain for irrigation. —Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 She’s taken, perversely, with John the Baptist, imprisoned in a cistern and prophesying doom for the decadent, Godless heathens, Salome in particular. —Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 The household might pull just half a foot from the cistern per month. —Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 2 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cistern
Cite this Entry
“Cistern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/cistern. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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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