# cistern

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsɪs.tən/ · frequency rank #42,061

## Definitions
1. A reservoir or tank for holding water, especially for catching and holding rainwater for later use.
2. In a flush toilet, the container in which the water used for flushing is held; a toilet tank.
3. A shallow, typically oval, vessel made of porcelain, pottery, or glass.
4. The receptacle that holds the fuel in an oil lamp.
5. A cisterna.
6. The vessel surrounding the condenser in a steam engine.

## Etymology
From Middle English cisterne, from Old French cisterne (Modern French citerne) from Latin cisterna, from cista (“box”), from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē, “box”). Doublet of cisterna.

## Easily confused with
- **caster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/caster-vs-cistern)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ccistern`, `cisetrn`, `cisstern`, `cistenr`, `cisternn`, `cisterrn`, `cistren`, `cisttern`, `citsern`, `csitern`, `icstern`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cistern