canister

/ˈkænɪstə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [kˈænəstɚ] /ˈkænɪstər/ (ame, ipa) · [kˈænəstɚ] /ˈka-nə-stər How to pronounce canister (audio)/ (ame, mw)

canister — noun

  • canistersingular
  • canistersplural

1. a reusable storage tin or similar hard container, often round, for dry food, pow

1.名詞C1
釋義

a reusable storage tin or similar hard container, often round, for dry food, powder, or other loose material

例句

Eve poured flour from the kitchen canister into the blue mixing bowl.

pattern: pour something from a canister

A dented tea canister sat beside the sugar jar on Faisal's shelf.

collocation: tea canister

同義詞
  • tin

    often used for a small metal container in the kitchen

  • jar

    broader and often made of glass rather than metal

  • container

    very general; does not suggest a round lidded shape

文法句型

tea canister

coffee canister

store something in a canister

用法筆記

Usually refers to a rigid container with a lid, especially for dry goods or stored material. Unlike a bag or cardboard box, it suggests a hard container that can be opened and closed many times.

常見錯誤

❌Put the soup in the tea canister.
✅Put the tea in the canister.
💡a canister usually holds dry goods or stored material, not prepared liquid food.
❌I packed the shirts in a canister.
✅I packed the shirts in a box.
💡this sense usually means a small hard container, not ordinary clothing storage.

2. a sealed cylinder that holds compressed gas for medical, diving, or industrial u

2.名詞C1
釋義

a sealed cylinder that holds compressed gas for medical, diving, or industrial use

例句

The paramedic replaced the empty oxygen canister in the ambulance locker.

collocation: oxygen canister

Workers rolled a gas canister away from the welding table after lunch.

pattern: move a canister carefully

同義詞
  • cylinder

    more technical and focused on the shape

  • gas bottle

    everyday term for a container of stored gas

文法句型

oxygen canister

gas canister

replace a canister

用法筆記

Often names a portable cylinder used with medical, diving, or industrial equipment. Unlike sense 1, the important idea here is pressurized gas, not ordinary stored goods.

常見錯誤

❌The nurse changed the tea canister beside the bed.
✅The nurse changed the oxygen canister beside the bed.
💡this sense is for pressurized gas containers, not kitchen storage tins.
❌They carried the gas in a paper bag.
✅They carried the gas in a canister.
💡gas under pressure needs a strong sealed metal container.

3. a small round container used to protect and carry a roll of photographic film

3.名詞C1
釋義

a small round container used to protect and carry a roll of photographic film

例句

Christopher found an old film canister in his grandfather's camera bag.

collocation: film canister

The guide kept spare film in a black canister during the desert trip.

pattern: keep film items in a canister

同義詞
  • film can

    informal older term for the same kind of small container

文法句型

film canister

write on the canister

return the canister

用法筆記

This sense belongs to film photography rather than digital cameras. It is often used when talking about storing, labelling, or carrying rolls of film before they are developed.

常見錯誤

❌She saved the pictures on a film canister.
✅She kept the film in a canister.
💡the canister holds physical film, not digital picture files.
❌He opened the film canister in bright sun.
✅He opened the film canister in the darkroom.
💡opening it in strong light can ruin the film inside.

4. a metal tube packed with small pellets and fired from a gun to hit people nearby

4.名詞C2
釋義

a metal tube packed with small pellets and fired from a gun to hit people nearby

例句

The museum guide showed visitors a brass canister from an old battlefield.

context: historical weapon display

Soldiers loaded canister into the cannon before the enemy reached the gate.

pattern: load canister into a cannon

同義詞
  • canister shot

    the usual full phrase for this kind of ammunition

  • grapeshot

    related historical shot, though not exactly the same form

文法句型

load canister

fire canister

canister shot

用法筆記

Usually appears in military or historical writing, often in the fixed phrase 'canister shot'. Unlike sense 2, this sense is ammunition fired from a weapon, not a container holding gas for later use.

常見錯誤

❌The army stored oxygen in canister.
✅The army fired canister at the gate.
💡in this sense, canister means ammunition, not a gas container.