- a tank for the storage of water, esp on or within the roof of a house or connected to a WC
- an underground reservoir for the storage of a liquid, esp rainwater
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cis•tern /ˈsɪstɚn/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a reservoir, tank, or container for storing or holding water or other liquid:a cistern on the roof of a building.
cis•tern
(sis′tərn),USA pronunciation n.
- a reservoir, tank, or container for storing or holding water or other liquid.
- [Anat.]a reservoir or receptacle of some natural fluid of the body.
- Latin cisterna, equivalent. to cist(a) (see cist1) + -erna noun, nominal suffix
- Middle English cistern(e) 1250–1300
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cistern /ˈsɪstən/ n
'cistern' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
ball cock
- cesspool
- laccolith
- overflow
- back
- cavern
- château d'eau
- cisterna
- cistern barometer
- cup barometer
- Fortin barometer
- laver
- mercury barometer