tin can

noun

1

: a can made of tinplate

broadly : can sense 1a

2

slang : destroyer sense 2

Examples of tin can in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Learn more about the yellow tin can that flavors our region’s seafood. — Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 31 July 2026

Butch was the necessary string between their two sad tin cans. — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

At the beginning of the 20th century, pioneering motorists went to their local general store to buy gasoline, which arrived packed in tin cans. — Daniel Yergin, Time, 20 June 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tin can

• afghan
• bedpan
• began
• caveman
• chapin
• cyan
• deadpan
• dextran
• divan
• doorman
• fishman
• flagman

Kids Definition

tin can

noun

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