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
To protect yourself from mosquitoes, the City of Fort Worth recommends dumping outdoor containers of standing water like pools and birdbaths, as well as cleaning out gutters and tightly covering rain barrels or cisterns.
—
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2024
Once back home, Yazzie has her son refill a cistern in the family’s yard.
—Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2024
County officials recommended cleaning and scrubbing bird baths, pet dishes and other containers to remove any lingering eggs, and asked residents to properly screen rain barrels, cisterns and irrigation drains to prevent mosquito access.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 24 May 2024
Residents rely on municipal water trucks to fill cisterns or water tanks in homes or buildings.
—Somini Sengupta César Rodríguez, New York Times, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cistern 
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2024
Once back home, Yazzie has her son refill a cistern in the family’s yard.
—Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2024
County officials recommended cleaning and scrubbing bird baths, pet dishes and other containers to remove any lingering eggs, and asked residents to properly screen rain barrels, cisterns and irrigation drains to prevent mosquito access.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 24 May 2024
Residents rely on municipal water trucks to fill cisterns or water tanks in homes or buildings.
—Somini Sengupta César Rodríguez, New York Times, 18 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cistern
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cistern.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Cistern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cistern. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
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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