From Latin 'cisterna' (reservoir), from Greek 'kiste' (box) — a water tank conceived as an underground box.
A tank for storing water, especially one supplying taps or as part of a flushing mechanism; historically, an underground reservoir for rainwater collection.
From Latin 'cisterna' (underground reservoir, water tank), from 'cista' (box, chest, basket), borrowed from Greek 'kistē' (basket, box, chest). The Greek kistē descends from PIE *kistā, likely related to a root meaning to weave or braid (given that early containers were woven). Latin repurposed the container word into the architectural sense of a built reservoir. The -erna suffix in Latin often
The ancient cisterns of Constantinople (modern Istanbul) are among the most spectacular surviving examples of Roman hydraulic engineering. The Basilica Cistern, built in 532 CE under Emperor Justinian, could hold 80,000 cubic metres of water and was supported by 336 marble columns — many of them recycled from demolished pagan temples.