noun
tin
tihn
noun
1
A soft, silvery metallic element used especially to coat steel against rust.
"The roof was made of corrugated tin."
2
A sealed metal container used to preserve food.
"She opened a tin of soup for lunch."
3
A metal pan used for baking or roasting.
"Grease the tin before pouring in the cake batter."
verb
1
To seal food inside a can for preservation.
"The factory tins thousands of peaches every summer."
How to Use Tin
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA metal element, or (especially in British English) a sealed food can or baking pan.
UK vs US
British English uses "tin" for what American English usually calls a "can" (of food) or "pan" (for baking).
Common pairings
tin of beans
baking tin
tin roof
Word Forms
tinned past tense, tins plural, tins singular
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The roof was made of corrugated _____.
Etymology
From Old English tin, going back to a shared Germanic word for the metal.