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.
Residents have responded in kind, posting a picture of a tin can phone to signal their slide back to the pre-digital age.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
On a crisp Saturday morning that screamed for adventure, a former tin can factory in North Kansas City, Mo. thrummed with the sound of young people climbing, sliding, spinning, jumping, exploring and reading.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2024
Every day is harder than the last, a Gazan woman reports through a tin can transmitter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2023
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
At the top of the Arch, the observation deck reminded me of a tin can with carpeting.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
