CANISTER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does canister mean? 

• CANISTER (noun)
  The noun CANISTER has 2 senses:

1. a metallic cylinder packed with shot and used as ammunition in a firearm

2. metal container for storing dry foods such as tea or flour

  Familiarity information: CANISTER used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CANISTER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A metallic cylinder packed with shot and used as ammunition in a firearm

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

canister; canister shot; case shot

Hypernyms ("canister" is a kind of...):

ammo; ammunition (projectiles to be fired from a gun)

Meronyms (parts of "canister"):

pellet; shot (a solid missile discharged from a firearm)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Metal container for storing dry foods such as tea or flour

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

canister; cannister; tin

Hypernyms ("canister" is a kind of...):

container (any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another))

 Context examples 

A round container that has an inner layer of a material different from what the canister is composed of.

(Lined Canister, NCI Thesaurus)

A dosing unit equal to the amount of active ingredient(s) contained in a canister.

(Canister Dosing Unit, NCI Thesaurus)

The rocket launched Saturday included modifications made in response to that accident, including a redesigned helium canister.

(SpaceX Completes Successful Rocket Launch, VOA News)