Definition of "canister" [can•is•ter]

• A usually cylindrical storage container, especially: (noun)
• A box or can of thin metal or plastic used for holding dry foodstuffs or cooking ingredients, such as flour or sugar. (noun)
• A small plastic container used for storing a roll of film. (noun)
• 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. (noun)
• A metallic cylinder packed with shot that scatter upon discharge from a cannon, formerly used as an antipersonnel round. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Once the canister is frozen, it's attached to the PacoJet, which then works its magic."
• "In the event of a charge, it isn't necessary to withdraw the canister from the holster before using it."
• "New to town, and acting as a deputy, the enigmatic Robert Hawkins arrived with a tin canister in a giant white moving truck."