canister
21
8.6
- noun
- /ˈkænɪstər/
- Archaic
:
cartucho de metralla
- Sickened, Andrew turned away as the double load of canister slashed into the enemy ranks.
- gas canisters
- tear gas canisters
- lead canisters
Examples
-
On five occasions, they ran down our street at great speed, hurling tear-gas canisters at random.
Fiction book (1990) -
Drop the gas canisters.
-
I treated a man who got hit in the back with a tear gas canister.
Academic text (2001) -
Chain ammo is fed from a canister sitting next to it.
Fiction book (1991) -
Across the way, eight more canisters are fired at the beast.
Fiction book (1998) -
If we don't secure these canisters, we'll all be dead.
-
Three canisters of nerve gas were stolen from military trucks the night before last.
-
The uniforms throw tear gas canisters; the students start burning blackboards and benches in response.
Fiction book (2000) -
The police respond by firing multiple volleys of tear gas canisters, making many people disperse or flee to side streets.
Academic text (2001) -
The soldier loaded a canister of shot into the artillery before the battle began.
Synonyms
1
9.8
A metal cylinder filled with small balls fired from a cannon to spread them widely
A metal cylinder filled with many small balls that scatter when fired from a cannon
Compounds
- Archaic
A metal cylinder filled with many small balls that scatter when fired from a cannon
How Pressurized
Surface Forms
Etymology
Canister for ammunition keeps the same idea of a container: soldiers filled a metal can with many small balls and fired it so the contents spread out and hit a wide area. That's why a canister blast scatters many projectiles and was used to break up enemy groups at close range.