cist Hear it!

cist definition

cist (sist; also for 1, kist)

noun

  1. a prehistoric tomb made of stone slabs or hollowed out of rock
  2. in ancient times, a box or chest, esp. one containing sacred utensils

Etymology: L cista < Gr kistē (see chest); cistsense via Welsh kist faen, lit., stone coffin

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

cist Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • contain: The pit containing the cist was markedly deeper than the individual graves.

Preposition: within

  • cairn: The skull was excavated from cist no.1 and is an example of a Bronze Age short cist within a cairn.

Adjective modifier

  • short: The skull was excavated from cist no.1 and is an example of a Bronze Age short cist within a cairn.

Modifies a noun

  • burial: There are reports of a small cist burial found in the rampart.

Noun used with modifier

  • burial: The hollow near the center is probably the site of a robbed burial cist.
cist usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"cist." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/cist>

APA Style

cist. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/cist

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