Synonyms

tin can

American

noun

can.
U.S. Navy Slang. a destroyer.

tin can British

noun

a metal food container, esp when empty

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tin can

An Americanism dating back to 1760–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She treasured every tin can that came to our home.

From Literature

“It’s not the same on this rolling tin can without you.”

From Literature

As he passes along this cost, some customers are switching from tin cans to paper and plastic containers.

From The Wall Street Journal

All of which makes the decision to play in the round, packed like sardines in a crushed tin can, all the more significant.

From BBC

The Erebus and the Terror were the first ships to take advantage of a dramatic new invention—the tin can.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023