Cist
//ˈsɪst// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A small receptacle for sacred utensils carried in festivals in Ancient Greece. historical
- 2 A crypt cut into rock, chalk, or a tree trunk, especially a coffin formed by placing stone slabs on edge and topping them with a horizontal slab or slabs.
"A central stone slab cist containing the burial was surrounded by a circles of stones placed on edge, probably to represent the round house in which the deceased had lived."
Example
More examples"A central stone slab cist containing the burial was surrounded by a circles of stones placed on edge, probably to represent the round house in which the deceased had lived."
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Latin cista, from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē). Doublet of chest.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Welsh cist (“chest”) (see kistvaen), from Latin cista (“chest, casket”), see above.
Related phrases
More for "cist"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.