The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tin \Tin\, n. [As. tin; akin to D. tin, G. zinn, OHG. zin, Icel. & Dan. tin, Sw. tenn; of unknown origin.]
(Chem.) An elementary substance found as an oxide in the mineral cassiterite, and reduced as a soft silvery-white crystalline metal, with a tinge of yellowish-blue, and a high luster. It is malleable at ordinary temperatures, but brittle when heated. It is softer than gold and can be beaten out into very thin strips called tinfoil. It is ductile at 2120, when it can be drawn out into wire which is not very tenacious; it melts at 4420, and at a higher temperature burns with a brilliant white light. Air and moisture act on tin very slightly. The peculiar properties of tin, especially its malleability, its brilliancy and the slowness with which it rusts make it very serviceable. With other metals it forms valuable alloys, as bronze, gun metal, bell metal, pewter and solder. It is not easily oxidized in the air, and is used chiefly to coat iron to protect it from rusting, in the form of tin foil with mercury to form the reflective surface of mirrors, and in solder, bronze, speculum metal, and other alloys. Its compounds are designated as stannous, or stannic. Symbol Sn (Stannum). Atomic weight 117.4.
Thin plates of iron covered with tin; tin plate.
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Money. [Cant]
--Beaconsfield.Block tin (Metal.), commercial tin, cast into blocks, and partially refined, but containing small quantities of various impurities, as copper, lead, iron, arsenic, etc.; solid tin as distinguished from tin plate; -- called also bar tin.
Butter of tin. (Old Chem.) See Fuming liquor of Libavius, under Fuming.
Grain tin. (Metal.) See under Grain.
Salt of tin (Dyeing), stannous chloride, especially so called when used as a mordant.
Stream tin. See under Stream.
Tin cry (Chem.), the peculiar creaking noise made when a bar of tin is bent. It is produced by the grating of the crystal granules on each other.
Tin foil, tin reduced to a thin leaf.
Tin frame (Mining), a kind of buddle used in washing tin ore.
Tin liquor, Tin mordant (Dyeing), stannous chloride, used as a mordant in dyeing and calico printing.
Tin penny, a customary duty in England, formerly paid to tithingmen for liberty to dig in tin mines. [Obs.]
--Bailey.Tin plate, thin sheet iron coated with tin.
Tin pyrites. See Stannite.
Wiktionary
alt. A thin sheet of steel coated with tin to prevent rusting; used to make cans etc. n. A thin sheet of steel coated with tin to prevent rusting; used to make cans etc.
WordNet
n. thin sheet metal (iron or steel) coated with tin to prevent rusting; used especially for cans and pots
Usage examples of "tin plate".
Quite the contrary, it was only with great difficulty that my grandmother and her daughter were able to conceal their cashbox, which consisted of a tin plate covered by another tin plate and contained more copper than silver, from the sad and thirsty gaze of the gunpowder-maker.
Their faces were blank, rigid, and their eyes went mechanically from the pot to the tin plate she held.
He stood, tin plate in hand, and slung the bones out into the night.
He stuck his spoon into the stew still on his tin plate, stroked the black ribbon of his wound badge.
As though accepting his own invitation, Lieder began to down the food on his tin plate, gripping his spoon in his fist like a child, and talking while he ate.