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
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 May 2025
That includes the jars and tins used to package their product.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 12 May 2025
Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Nov. 2024
They are beautifully boxed, tinned, or elegantly wrapped in paper and given to friends, neighbors, relatives, and colleagues.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tin
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.
Noun
This 10-piece set includes a half sheet, baking sheet, muffin tin, cooling rack, round cake pan and loaf pan.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 May 2025
That includes the jars and tins used to package their product.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 12 May 2025
Verb
Boutiques on the perimeter specialize in local saffron, honey, and tinned caviar from Azerbaijani sturgeon.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Nov. 2024
They are beautifully boxed, tinned, or elegantly wrapped in paper and given to friends, neighbors, relatives, and colleagues.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tin
Cite this Entry
“Tin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tin. Accessed 28 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share