- Tin foil
- Tin Tin, n. [As. tin; akin to D. tin, G. zinn, OHG. zin, Icel.
& Dan. tin, Sw. tenn; of unknown origin.]
1. (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.
[1913 Webster]
2. Thin plates of iron covered with tin; tin plate. [1913 Webster]
3. Money. [Cant] --Beaconsfield. [1913 Webster]
{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}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
