tin plate
noun
thin iron or steel sheet coated with tin.
tin plate
1 American
Or
tinplate
noun
tin-plate
2
American
[tin-pleyt]
/ ˈtɪnˌpleɪt /
verb (used with object)
tin-plated,
tin-plating
tin plate
British
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tin plate1
First recorded in 1670–80
Origin of tin-plate2
First recorded in 1885–90
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.
See Examples For:
Jamal waved for me to pull out my tin plate and lay it on the floor.
From New York Times ● Aug. 28, 2013
In the US, Thomas Kensett and Ezra Daggett had patented the use of tin plate in 1825 and started selling canned oysters, fruits, meats and vegetables in New York.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2013
In the weeks that followed, within those four walls, sheets of tin plate were transformed by hand into tin cans filled with beef, mutton, carrots, parsnips and soup, destined for every corner of the .
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2013
Dating from 1840 to 1950, the toys were made of tin plate by European companies that hand painted them.
From New York Times ● Dec. 13, 2012
Another tin plate was slammed onto the shelf.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
The Can Manufacturers Institute, a trade group, says there hasn’t been meaningful reshoring of tin-plate production since tariffs jumped this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 31, 2025
Huether has tried repeatedly to buy more tin-plate from U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 31, 2025
The tariffs decision was announced less than a week after Cleveland-Cliffs announced a buyout offer of its major competitor in the tin-plate sector, U.S.
From Reuters ● Aug. 17, 2023
Museum officials, citing the rising cost of the tin-plate pieces, replaced the button with a cheaper and more efficient paper ticket system using detachable stickers.
From New York Times ● Feb. 18, 2016
“Here she wanted to save it for a real tin-plate surprise to her mother and we’ve leaked it like wheat from a mouse-hole sack.”
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Specialized tin-plated steel used in cans isn’t produced in sufficient quantities in the U.S.— nearly 80% is imported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 31, 2025
Cleveland-Cliffs now makes tin-plated products on the site, where employment tumbled from 6,100 in 1994 to less than 900 now.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2022
Firms that use standard tin-plated steel, including Ball Metalpack and Mauser Packaging Solutions, have seen their exemption applications denied or delayed by Commerce after U.S. steelmakers objected to them, arguing the material is available domestically.
From Reuters ● Jun. 14, 2019
Copper, galvanized steel, lead and traditional tin-plated steel are examples of these fine materials.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 8, 2019
“I’ll bet this tin-plated screwball is talking about the Energy Converter itself.”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Shoe-making, tanning, agricultural trade, tin-plating, and the manufacture of confectionery and cider have superseded the former large woollen and serge industries.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 6 "Coucy-le-Château" to "Crocodile" by Various
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.
