What does canister mean?
Word: Canister
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Canister means a round container with a lid, usually made of metal, for holding things such as tea or coffee.
How do you spell canister?
Syllables: can - is - ter
Tricky part: One n only. Pupils often double it, and cannister is the usual slip.
Watch out for: cannister, kanister
Memory tip: You can keep tea in it, and can has just one n.
Canister in a sentence
Example 1: Mummy keeps the coffee powder in a tall steel canister beside the stove.
Example 2: Each canister on the shelf has a neat label in Mum's handwriting.
Example 3: He unscrewed the canister and tipped the sugar into the bowl.
Fun Fact
A canister began life as a basket. The word goes back to a Latin word for a basket woven from reeds, long before anyone made one in steel.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
can_st_r
a) i, o
b) u, e
c) e, e
d) i, e
Show answer
d) i, e. The close is spelt as in sister, with an i and then an e.
Word Cookie
One word in this sentence is misspelt. Find it:
Before the school picnic our cheerful class teacher filled a large canisster with lemon sherbet, packed sandwiches for everyone and carefully counted the paper plates.
a) canisster
b) cheerful
c) sandwiches
d) sherbet
Show answer
a) canisster. Canisster has picked up a second s that the word does not need.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word canister as used in the sentence:
Grandma keeps her best tea leaves in a canister on the top shelf.
a) tray
b) ladle
c) sieve
d) tin
Show answer
d) tin. A tin is a metal holder with a lid, which is just the thing for tea leaves.
Spell-o-Spell
One word in the list is misspelt and three are spelt correctly. Choose what the misspelt word means.
1. cutlery 2. canister 3. tumbler 4. sauceppan
a) knives, forks and spoons
b) a deep metal pot used for cooking on a stove
c) a metal or glass drinking cup
d) a storage holder with a tight lid
Show answer
b) a deep metal pot used for cooking on a stove. Sauceppan has one p too many; saucepan is correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Why do cooks store flour in an airtight canister?
a) to turn it into dough
b) to make it weigh more
c) to keep it dry and fresh
d) to change its colour
Show answer
c) to keep it dry and fresh
2. Before digital cameras, what was often sold in tiny canisters?
a) sheets of paper
b) rolls of film
c) bunches of grapes
d) pairs of shoes
Show answer
b) rolls of film
