1
: a soft faintly bluish-white lustrous low-melting crystalline metallic element with atomic number 50 that is malleable and ductile at ordinary temperatures and that is used especially in containers, as a protective coating, in tinfoil, and in soft solders and alloys
—often used before another noun
tin cans
a tin roof
see Chemical Elements Table
2
plural tins
a
: a box, can, pan, vessel, or a sheet made of tinplate
broadly
: such a container of any metal (such as aluminum)
b
: a metal container and its contents
a tin of tomatoes
tin
adjective
tinned; tinning
1
: to cover or plate with tin or a tin alloy
2
: to put up or pack in tins : can
tinned peaches
taxpayer identification number
Examples of tin in a Sentence
Noun
row upon row of tins containing food for an emergency that never happened
Recent Examples on the Web
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 July 2024
Workers save pieces of a tin fence that was blown apart as Hurricane Beryl passed through Kingston, Jamaica, on Wednesday.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 4 July 2024
Katie Jackson, Robb Report, 20 June 2024
So the cheeses, charcuterie, and tinned and cured fish turn into a meal.
—Kendyl Kearly, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tin 
Noun
Aching Head Rub in half-ounce metal tins with lot Nos. 326070 and 420140; and 1-ounce glass jars with lot Nos. 322030, 321230, 329230, 321240, 329170, 328280, 326090, 322290, 327021, 323121, 327221, 429210, 424130 and 427050.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 July 2024
Workers save pieces of a tin fence that was blown apart as Hurricane Beryl passed through Kingston, Jamaica, on Wednesday.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 4 July 2024
Verb
Published on June 20, 2024 Francisco Nogueira For decades, American travelers skipped the tile and tinned fish capital of Europe for the glitz and glam of the Med.
—Katie Jackson, Robb Report, 20 June 2024
So the cheeses, charcuterie, and tinned and cured fish turn into a meal.
—Kendyl Kearly, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tin
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tin
Cite this Entry
“Tin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tin. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tin
2 of 2 verb
tinned; tinning
1
: to cover or plate with tin or a mixture of tin with another metal
2
: to put up or pack in tins : can
Medical Definition
tin
noun
: a soft faintly bluish white lustrous low-melting crystalline metallic element that is malleable and ductile at ordinary temperatures and that is used as a protective coating, in tinfoil, and in soft solders and alloys
—symbol Sn
see Chemical Elements Table
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