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
Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
Students at Yale and other New England schools had been tossing around empty pie tins from the Frisbie Baking Company in Connecticut, according to the Strong National Museum of Play.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Jess Cording, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Pistachio oil and tinned sturgeon brought praise to the Sacramento region’s farm-to-fork food production at the 2025 Good Food Awards.
—Camila Pedrosa
july 6, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tin
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The liners, which can also be used as muffin tins, are a sustainable, plastic-free, and reusable alternative to single-use, throwaway aluminum or paper liners, and can be reused for years to come.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
Students at Yale and other New England schools had been tossing around empty pie tins from the Frisbie Baking Company in Connecticut, according to the Strong National Museum of Play.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
Combine tinned fish with plain Greek yogurt and drizzle with olive oil and salt to taste for an easy high-protein sandwich spread or veggie dip.
—Jess Cording, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Pistachio oil and tinned sturgeon brought praise to the Sacramento region’s farm-to-fork food production at the 2025 Good Food Awards.
—Camila Pedrosa
july 6, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tin
Cite this Entry
“Tin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tin. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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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