tin can
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tin can
An Americanism dating back to 1760–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Mets began the season with an even bigger payroll than L.A.’s and has done nothing but make New York City want to kick a tin can down the street.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
He was a mostly self-taught golfer who had fashioned a swing using a branch from a guava tree for a club and a crushed tin can for a ball.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2024
Movies to be watched on planes, making bearable the three or nine hours spent in a tin can, squashed on all sides, munching tiny pretzels and trying not to order yet another gin and tonic.
From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2024
To imagine why these issues arise, picture yourself in a tin can with a small crew, a deadly environment outside, a monotonous schedule, an unnatural daytime-nighttime cycle and mission controllers constantly on your case.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 19, 2023
A tin can on the counter, lid open.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
