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.
Read more about Cistern: Earliest Cisterns, Creating and Using Cisterns, Bathing, Toilet, Famous Cisterns
Famous quotes containing the word cistern:
“The cistern contains: The fountain overflows.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
“But there, where I have garnered up my heart,
Where either I must live or bear no life;
The fountain from the which my current runs
Or else dries up: to be discarded thence,
Or keep it as a cistern for foul toads
To knot and gender in!”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)