cistern

In by Jackie Dunn

A reservoir or storage tank used for a household’s water supply.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
cistern (noun)
1.
an artificial reservoir (as an underground tank) for storing liquids and especially water (as rainwater)
2.
a large usually silver vessel formerly used (as in cooling wine) at the dining table
3.
a fluid-containing sac or cavity in an organism
cistern (Wikipedia)
Concrete cistern
Plastic cistern
One of the Cisterns of La Malga, Carthage, 1930
Ancient Buddhist rock-hewn cistern at Pavurallakonda in India
Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, 138 m x 65 m, 80.000 m3, Justinian I, 523-542
Remains of a Nabataean cistern north of Makhtesh Ramon, southern Israel

A cistern (Middle English cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista, "box", from Greek κίστη kistê, "basket") is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings. Modern cisterns range in capacity from a few litres to thousands of cubic metres, effectively forming covered reservoirs.

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