cistern

Etymology

From Middle English cisterne, from Old French cisterne (Modern French citerne) from Latin cisterna, from cista (“box”), from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē, “box”). Doublet of cisterna.

noun

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.
   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. 2001, Philip J. King, Lawrence E. Stager, chapter 3, in Life in Biblical Israel, page 126
2. In a flush toilet, the container in which the water used for flushing is held; a toilet tank.
   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. 2003, Allan Windust, chapter 9, in Waterwise House & Garden: a Guide for Sustainable Living, page 36
3. A cisterna.
4. The vessel surrounding the condenser in a steam engine.