1. (Symbol Sn) A malleable, silvery metallic element obtained chiefly from cassiterite. It is used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion and is a part of numerous alloys, such as soft solder, pewter, type metal, and bronze. Atomic number 50; atomic weight 118.71; melting point 231.89°C; boiling point 2,270°C; specific gravity 7.31; valence 2, 4.
2. Tin plate.
3. A container or box made of tin plate.
4. Chiefly British.
   1. A container for preserved foodstuffs; a can.
   2. The contents of such a container.

1. To plate or coat with tin.
2. Chiefly British. To preserve or pack in tins; can.

1. Of, relating to, or made of tin.
2. 1. Constructed of inferior material.
   2. Spurious.

[Middle English, from Old English.]

WORD HISTORY   The origins of the word tin may date to a time before Europe had been settled by speakers of Indo-European languages, such as the Germanic and Celtic languages. Related words for this metal are found in almost all Germanic languages, such as German Zinn, Swedish tenn, and Old English tin (as in Modern English), but no other Indo-European language family has such a word. This fact suggests that the word tin may have been borrowed into the Germanic languages from a pre-Indo-European language of Western Europe. This possibility is supported by the Bronze Age importation to the Near East of tin and copper from Europe, where the metals were produced and metal objects were manufactured. Lest we be too amazed by this accomplishment, we might remember another remarkable achievement of pre-Indo-European society, the construction of huge megalithic monuments such as Stonehenge.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.