[a. Sp. canastra, canasta (Fr. canastre, It. canestra):—L. *canastrum, canistrum, a. Gr. κάναστρον basket. Cf. CANISTER.]
1. A rush basket used to pack tobacco in.
2. A kind of tobacco made of the dried leaves coarsely broken, so called from the rush basket in which it was formerly imported.
1827. Hone, Every-day Bk., II. 196. The best tobacco is the Turkey, the Persian, and what is called Dutch canaster.
1850. Thackeray, Imit. Horace. Meanwhile I will smoke my canaster, And tipple my ale.
1853. Blackw. Mag., LXXIV. 132. The dried leaves, coarsely broken, are sold as canaster or knaster.
