res·er·voir
(rĕźər-vwäŕ, -vwôŕ, -vôŕ)
[French réservoir, from réserver, to reserve, from Old French reserver; see reserve.]
noun
- A natural or artificial pond or lake used for the storage and regulation of water.
- A receptacle or chamber for storing a fluid.
- An underground accumulation of petroleum or natural gas.
- Anatomy See cisterna
- A large or extra supply; a reserve: a reservoir of good will.
- Medicine An organism or a population that directly or indirectly transmits a pathogen while being virtually immune to its effects.
cis·ter·na
(sĭ-stûŕnə)
[Latin, cistern; see cistern.]
noun: pl., -nae (-nē)
- Anatomy A fluid-containing sac or cavity in the body of an organism. Also called reservoir
- Cytology One of the saclike vesicles that comprise the endoplasmic reticulum.
derivatives
- cis·teŕnal
- adjective