tin

[ tin ]

/ tɪn /

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noun

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. Symbol: Sn; atomic weight: 118.69; atomic number: 50; specific gravity: 7.31 at 20°C.

tin plate.

any shallow pan, especially one used in baking.

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

Squash. telltale (def. 8).

Chiefly British. a hermetically sealed can containing food.

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.

British Slang. money.

adjective

made or consisting of tin or tin plate.

false; worthless; counterfeit: a set of tin values.

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

verb (used with object), tinned, tin·ning.

Metallurgy.

to cover or coat with tin.
to coat with soft solder.

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

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.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM tin

tinlike, adjectivere·tin, verb (used with object), re·tinned, re·tin·ning.

Words nearby tin

timpani, Timpanogos, Timrod, timucu, Timur, tin, Tina, Tinactin, tinamou, Tinbergen, tincal

Other definitions for tin (2 of 2)

TIN

[ tin ]

/ tɪn /

noun

taxpayer identification number.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tin in a sentence

The line right before this is “With little tin horns and little toy drums.”
The Most Confusing Christmas Music Lyrics Explained (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The raw materials— tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold—were dubbed “conflict minerals.”
Aaron Rodgers Takes Aim at Congo’s ‘Blood Minerals’ War|John Prendergast|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One and all, they come shaking their tin cups at election time then run like the wind when a critical vote comes up.
How the Lame Democrats Blew It|Goldie Taylor|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The more than 50,000 who reside in West Point live mostly in shacks made of zinc with rusted tin roofs.
Meet the Liberian Girls Beating Ebola|Abby Haglage|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But his lumbering lurch toward the Ted Cruz tin-foil-hat convention should instead be an object lesson for Republicans to come.
Will the GOP Get the Message in Kansas?|Ana Marie Cox|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And I will turn my hand to thee, and I will clean purge away thy dross, and I will take away all thy tin.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Otherwise, a child's box of tin soldiers sent by post would have been just the thing for the Dardanelles landing!
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
He watched the man put some bread and milk in a tin pan, and set it down on the floor of the basket.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
All the bamboo clappers, cocoanut shells, tin pans, and red flags that could be found were seized and put into use.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
Another manner of punishment consists in making them wear a tin mask, which is fastened with a lock behind.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer

British Dictionary definitions for tin

tin

/ (tɪn) /

noun

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°CRelated adjectives: stannic, stannous

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

any container made of metallic tin

fill her tins NZ to complete a home baking of cakes, biscuits, etc

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

British, Australian and NZ corrugated or galvanized irona tin roof

any metal regarded as cheap or flimsy

British a loaf of bread with a rectangular shape, baked in a tin

slang money

it does exactly what it says on the tin it lives up to expectations

verb tins, tinning or tinned (tr)

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

to plate or coat with tin

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

Derived forms of tin

tinlike, adjective

Word Origin for tin

Old English; related to Old Norse tin, Old High German zin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for tin

tin

[ tĭn ]

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. See Periodic Table. See Note at element.

tin

Origin of tin

OTHER WORDS FROM tin

Words nearby tin

Other definitions for tin (2 of 2)

Words related to tin

How to use tin in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tin

Derived forms of tin

Word Origin for tin

Scientific definitions for tin