canister

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A usually cylindrical storage container, especially:
2. n. A box or can of thin metal or plastic used for holding dry foodstuffs or cooking ingredients, such as flour or sugar.
3. n. A small plastic container used for storing a roll of film.
4. n. A metal container that holds pressurized gas, as one containing tear gas that explodes on impact or one containing oxygen as part of a breathing apparatus.
5. n. A metallic cylinder packed with shot that scatter upon discharge from a cannon, formerly used as an antipersonnel round.
6. n. Such cylinders, or the shot used in such cylinders, considered as a group.
7. n. The part of a gas mask that contains the filter for removing toxic agents from the air.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Properly, a small basket made of reeds, twigs, or the like.
2. n. A small box or case for tea, coffee, etc.
3. n. In the Roman Catholic Church, the metallic vessel used to contain the altar-breads or wafers before consecration. See altar-bread.
4. n. Canister-shot.

Wiktionary

1. n. A cylindrical or rectangular container usually of lightweight metal, plastic, or laminated pasteboard used for holding a dry product (as tea, crackers, flour, matches).
2. n. Any of various cylindrical metal receptacles usually with a removable close-fitting top.
3. n. A special short range antipersonnel projectile consisting of a casing of light metal, loaded with preformed submissiles such as flechettes or steel balls. The casing is designed to open just beyond the muzzle of the weapon, dispersing the submissiles.
4. n. A component of canister type protective mask containing a mechanical filter and chemical filling to filter, neutralize and/or absorb toxic chemical, biological and radiological agents.
5. n. A projectile component containing colored or screening smoke or riot control agent composition.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A small basket of rushes, reeds, or willow twigs, etc.
2. n. A small box or case for holding tea, coffee, etc.
3. n. (Mil.) A kind of case shot for cannon, in which a number of lead or iron balls in layers are inclosed in a case fitting the gun; -- called also canister shot.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a metallic cylinder packed with shot and used as ammunition in a firearm
2. n. metal container for storing dry foods such as tea or flour