cist

/ˈsɪst/

//ˈsɪst// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"cist" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cist” is uncommon English (frequency #99,106 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,106
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small receptacle for sacred utensils carried in festivals in Ancient Greece.

Key facts for cist
PropertyValue
Headwordcist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#99,106
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cist” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). cist lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cist is uncommon English at frequency #99,106 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsɪst/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A small receptacle for sacred utensils carried in festivals in Ancient Greece.".

cist doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin cista, from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē). Doublet of chest. The correct English form is cist, spelled C-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small receptacle for sacred utensils carried in festivals in Ancient Greece.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cista, from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē). Doublet of chest.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cist"?
"cist" is spelled C-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪst/.
What does "cist" mean?
As a noun, "cist" means: A small receptacle for sacred utensils carried in festivals in Ancient Greece.
How do you pronounce "cist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cist" is /ˈsɪst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cist"?
Borrowed from Latin cista, from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē). Doublet of chest. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “cist”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-I-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɪst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list