Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Cistern

Cistern , noun

[Old English cisterne, Old French cisterne, French cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista box, chest. See Cist, and compare chest.]

1.
An artificial reservoir or tank for holding water, beer, or other liquids.
2.
A natural reservoir; a hollow place containing water.
The wide cisterns of the lakes. — Blackmore