tin

¹ American  

[tin] / tɪn /

noun

1. Chemistry. a low-melting, malleable, ductile metallic element nearly approaching silver in color and luster: used in plating and in making alloys, tinfoil, and soft solders. Sn; 118.69; 50; 7.31 at 20°C.

2. tin plate.

3. any shallow pan, especially one used in baking.

4. any pot, box, can, or other container or vessel made of tin or tin plate.

5. Squash. telltale.

6. Chiefly British. a hermetically sealed can containing food.

7. Slang. a small quantity of an illicit drug, especially from two to five grams of cocaine: usually sold in a small plastic bag, a glassine envelope, or often a small tin container.

8. British Slang. money.

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adjective

1. made or consisting of tin or tin plate.

2. false; worthless; counterfeit.

   a set of tin values.

3. indicating the tenth event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.

verb (used with object)

tinned, tinning

1. Metallurgy.

   1. to cover or coat with tin.

   2. to coat with soft solder.

2. Chiefly British. to preserve or pack (especially food) in cans; can.

3. to cover (windows and doors in an abandoned or unoccupied building or apartment) with sheets of tin to prevent vandalism or occupancy by vagrants, squatters, etc.

TIN ² American  

[tin] / tɪn /

noun

1. taxpayer identification number.

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tin British  

/ tɪn /

noun

1. a metallic element, occurring in cassiterite, that has several allotropes; the ordinary malleable silvery-white metal slowly changes below 13.2°C to a grey powder. It is used extensively in alloys, esp bronze and pewter, and as a noncorroding coating for steel. Symbol: Sn; atomic no: 50; atomic wt: 118.710; valency: 2 or 4; relative density: 5.75 (grey), 7.31 (white); melting pt: 231.9°C; boiling pt: 2603°C

2. Also called (esp US and Canadian): can.  an airtight sealed container of thin sheet metal coated with tin, used for preserving and storing food or drink

3. any container made of metallic tin

4. to complete a home baking of cakes, biscuits, etc

5. Also called: tinful.  the contents of a tin or the amount a tin will hold

6. corrugated or galvanized iron

   a tin roof

7. any metal regarded as cheap or flimsy

8. a loaf of bread with a rectangular shape, baked in a tin

9. slang money

10. it lives up to expectations

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verb

1. to put (food, etc) into a tin or tins; preserve in a tin

2. to plate or coat with tin

3. to prepare (a metal) for soldering or brazing by applying a thin layer of solder to the surface

tin Scientific  

/ tĭn /

1. A malleable, silvery metallic element that occurs in igneous rocks. It has a crystalline structure and crackles when bent. Tin is used as an anticorrosion agent and is a part of numerous alloys, including bronze. Atomic number 50; atomic weight 118.71; melting point 231.89°C; boiling point 2,270°C; specific gravity 7.31; valence 2, 4.

2. See Periodic Table See Note at element

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Other Word Forms

• retin verb (used with object)
• tinlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of tin

before 900; (noun) Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, Old Norse tin, German Zinn; (v.) Middle English tinnen, derivative of the noun

Example Sentences

With no local testing or controls of exports, secondary minerals like tantalum, beryl and tin were being shipped out undetected and untaxed.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Goodison-Blanks said the tin itself had some "patternation and rusting" on it and the label was a "bit worn".

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Long framed by a tin roof and a tent, the theater had a reputation for discomfort, as it was a source of punishing heat and the occasional mouse sighting.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

"We say the tin doesn't forget," Grzywacz said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

The Erebus and the Terror were the first ships to take advantage of a dramatic new invention—the tin can.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• bottle
• bucket
• canister
• jar
• package