English

Noun

cistern ‎(plural cisterns)

1. A reservoir or tank for holding water, especially for catching and holding rainwater for later use.
   • 1913, A.C. Cotter, Catholic Encyclopedia, "Wells in Scripture",

     Their extreme necessity is attested by the countless number of old, unused cisterns with which the Holy Land is literally honeycombed.

   • 2001, Philip J. King and Lawrence E. Stager, chapter 3, in Life in Biblical Israel, ISBN 0664221483, page 126:

     Cisterns (bôr, bō'r), mentioned frequently in the Bible, are artificial reservoirs, usually cut into bedrock, for collecting and conserving rain runoff from roofs and courtyards.

2. (technical) In a flush toilet, the container in which the water used for flushing is held; a toilet tank.
   • 2003, Allan Windust, chapter 9, in Waterwise House & Garden: a Guide for Sustainable Living, ISBN 0643068007, page 36:

     It is possible to connect your tank to your toilet cistern and/or garden, so that even if the water is not drinkable it still can be used productively to make major water savings.

3. (anatomy) A cisterna.

Translations

Anagrams

• cretins

Swedish

Noun

cistern c

1. cistern, tank

Declension