English
canister
Canister comes from Latin canistrum ‘wicker basket’, and goes back to Ancient Greek κάναστρον.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκάναστρον‘basket of reeds’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcanistrum‘wicker basket’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500canustyr‘basket’
- Englishearliest quotation 1897canister
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκάναστρον‘basket of reeds’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcanistrum‘wicker basket’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500canustyr‘basket’
- Englishearliest quotation 1897canister
Earliest quotation: 1897, R. G. Allanson-Winn, Bertram Fletcher Robinson: “Caunt let fly left and right, but Bendy ducked…”
Linked words
through Akkadian 𒂵𒉡𒌑𒌝 ‘reed’
channel, canada, cane, cannula, canna, cannoli, 16 more
through Ancient Greek κάννα ‘reed’
Today it means
noun A cylindrical or rectangular container usually of lightweight metal, plastic, or laminated pasteboard used for holding a dry product (as tea, crackers, flour, matches).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek κάναστρον / canister