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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Cistern \Cis"tern\, noun [OE. cisterne, OF. cisterne, F. cisterne, fr. L. cisterna, fr. cista box, chest. See {Cist}, and cf. {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.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
cistern
noun
1: a sac or cavity containing fluid especially lymph or cerebrospinal fluid [syn: {cisterna}]
2: a tank that holds the water used to flush a toilet [syn: {water tank}]
3: an artificial reservoir for storing liquids; especially an underground tank for storing rainwater
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
43 Moby Thesaurus words for "cistern": artificial lake, bayou lake, dam, dead water, dike, etang, farm pond, fishpond, freshwater lake, glacial lake, inland sea, lagoon, laguna, lake, lakelet, landlocked water, linn, loch, lough, mere, millpond, millpool, nyanza, oxbow lake, plash, pond, pondlet, pool, puddle, reservoir, salina, salt pond, stagnant water, standing water, still water, sump, tank, tarn, tidal pond, volcanic lake, water hole, water pocket, well
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Cistern the rendering of a Hebrew word _bor_, which means a receptacle for water conveyed to it; distinguished from _beer_, which denotes a place where water rises on the spot (Jer. 2:13; Prov. 5:15; Isa. 36:16), a fountain. Cisterns are frequently mentioned in Scripture. The scarcity of springs in Palestine made it necessary to collect rain-water in reservoirs and cisterns (Num. 21:22). (See {WELL}.) Empty cisterns were sometimes used as prisons (Jer. 38:6; Lam. 3:53; Ps. 40:2; 69:15). The "pit" into which Joseph was cast (Gen. 37:24) was a _beer_ or dry well. There are numerous remains of ancient cisterns in all parts of Palestine.
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