tin can

noun

1. can.

2. U.S. Navy Slang.,  a destroyer.

tin can

noun

1. a metal food container, esp when empty

Word History and Origins

Origin of tin can¹

An Americanism dating back to 1760–70

Example Sentences

All of which makes the decision to play in the round, packed like sardines in a crushed tin can, all the more significant.

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He begins to skim cash off the top of her prize money, hiding it in a tin can in their backyard.

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From the outside, the Team Associated trailer looked like a glorified tin can, but inside it was furnished with crisp white shelving and a treasure trove of motor parts.

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“They have been found in tin cans, in coconut halves,” Rundell writes.

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I have fond memories of walking with my dad on Saturday mornings to a nearby cannery, where we could buy big tin cans of freshly squeezed OJ still warm from being pasteurized.

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