tin

UK: /ˈtɪn/ US: /tɪn/ ,(tin)

Inflections of 'tin' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

tins

v 3rd person singular

tinning

v pres p

tinned

v past

tinned

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

tin /tɪn/   n., adj., v., tinned, tin•ning. 
n. 

1. Chemistry a low-melting metal element with a silvery color and luster:
   [uncountable] Tin is used in plating and in making tinfoil.
2. a shallow pan, esp. one used in baking:
   [countable] a pie tin.
3. [countable] any container made of or plated with tin.
4. British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] a sealed can containing food:
   [countable] tins of soup in the cupboard.

adj. 

5. Metallurgy made of tin or plated with tin.

v. [~ + object]

6. Metallurgy to cover or coat with tin.
7. British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] to preserve or pack (food, etc.) in cans;
   can.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

tin (tin),  n., adj., v., tinned, tin•ning. 

n. 

1. Chemistry a low-melting, malleable, ductile metallic element nearly approaching silver in color and luster: used in plating and in making alloys, tinfoil, and soft solders. Symbol: Sn;
   at. wt.: 118.69;
   at. no.: 50;
   sp. gr.: 7.31 at 20°C.
2. Metallurgy See tin plate. 
3. any shallow pan, esp. one used in baking.
4. any pot, box, can, or other container or vessel made of tin or tin plate.
5. [Squash.] telltale (def. 8).
6. British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] a hermetically sealed can containing food.
7. Slang Terms a small quantity of an illicit drug, esp. from two to five grams of cocaine: usually sold in a small plastic bag, a glassine envelope, or often a small tin container.
8. British Terms money.

adj. 

9. Metallurgy made or consisting of tin or tin plate.
10. false;
    worthless;
    counterfeit:
    a set of tin values.
11. indicating the tenth event of a series, as a wedding anniversary. See table under wedding anniversary. 

v.t. 

12. Metallurgy
    • to cover or coat with tin.
    • to coat with soft solder.
13. British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] to preserve or pack (esp. food) in cans;
    can.
14. to cover (windows and doors in an abandoned or unoccupied building or apartment) with sheets of tin to prevent vandalism or occupancy by vagrants, squatters, etc.

• bef. 900; (noun, nominal) Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, Old Norse tin, German Zinn; (verb, verbal) Middle English tinnen, derivative of the noun, nominal

tin′like′, adj. 

TIN  (tin), n. 

1. Banking, Business, Government taxpayer identification number.

tin, +n. 

1. [Squash.] telltale (def. 8).

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tin / tɪn/ noun

1. a metallic element, occurring in cassiterite, that has several allotropes; the ordinary malleable silvery-white metal slowly changes below 13.2°C to a grey powder. It is used extensively in alloys, esp bronze and pewter, and as a noncorroding coating for steel. Symbol: Sn; atomic no: 50; atomic wt: 118.710; valency: 2 or 4; relative density: 5.75 (grey), 7.31 (white); melting pt: 231.9°C; boiling pt: 2603°C
2. Also called (esp US and Canadian): can an airtight sealed container of thin sheet metal coated with tin, used for preserving and storing food or drink
3. any container made of metallic tin
4. Also called: tinful the contents of a tin or the amount a tin will hold
5. corrugated or galvanized iron: a tin roof
6. any metal regarded as cheap or flimsy
7. a loaf of bread with a rectangular shape, baked in a tin
8. it does exactly what it says on the tin ⇒ it lives up to expectations

verb (tins, tinning, tinned)(transitive)

1. to put (food, etc) into a tin or tins; preserve in a tin
2. to plate or coat with tin
3. to prepare (a metal) for soldering or brazing by applying a thin layer of solder to the surface

Etymology: Old English; related to Old Norse tin, Old High German zin