noun

tins

cans

We need a few tins of tomatoes.

We need a few cans of tomatoes.

She collects old biscuit tins.

She collects old biscuit tins.

((tins of sth.)) metal containers of (sth.) I bought three tins of tomatoes.

Synonyms: cans (primary US term)

From Old English 'tin' (the metal). The meaning extended to containers made of tin-plated steel.

In the US, you almost always use 'cans'. 'Tins' is a distinctly British term for the same object, like a can of beans.

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