tin can

noun

Synonyms of tin cannext
1
: a can made of tinplate
broadly : can sense 1a
2

Examples of tin can in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For just a little while, let yourself get lost in the off-kilter world and fun details of the artworks, from the cat-eye glasses made out of forks on the waitress to the mermaid’s tail, made entirely from tin can tops. Alissa Greenberg, Mercury News, 15 June 2026 The baking tin can turn a wide variety of foods into charming and practical edible cups. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026 But Cordell made by far the worst-sounding Ramones album, with the band pounding away in what sounds like a large tin can. Al Shipley, SPIN, 4 May 2026 The original Boomslang was packaged in a tin can with foam inside to protect the mouse; nice enough. Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tin can

Word History

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tin can was in 1770

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Cite this Entry

“Tin can.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tin%20can. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

tin can

noun
: a container for food made of metal (as tinplate or aluminum)

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