C18: from Late Latin: tin, from Latin: alloy of silver and lead, perhaps of Celticorigin; compare Welsh ystaen tin
tin in British English
(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
▶ Related adjectives: stannic, stannous
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. fill her tins
5. Also called: tinful
the contents of a tin or the amount a tin will hold
6. British, Australian and New Zealand
corrugated or galvanized iron
a tin roof
7.
any metal regarded as cheap or flimsy
8. British
a loaf of bread with a rectangular shape, baked in a tin
9. slang
money
10. it does exactly what it says on the tin
verbWord forms: tins, tinning or tinned(transitive)
11.
to put (food, etc) into a tin or tins; preserve in a tin
12.
to plate or coat with tin
13.
to prepare (a metal) for soldering or brazing by applying a thin layer of solder to the surface
Derived forms
tinlike (ˈtinˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
Old English; related to Old Norse tin, Old High German zin
stannum in American English
(ˈstænəm)
noun
tin
Word origin
[1775–85; ‹ LL: tin, L stannum, stagnum alloy of silver and lead]This word is first recorded in the period 1775–85. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: backup, flashing, guideline, parachute, waltz