A silvery-white metallic element used in alloys and for coating other metals to prevent corrosion. Also refers to containers made from tin-plated steel.
From Old English 'tin', related to Old Norse, German, and Dutch cognates, all referring to the metal. The word has remained remarkably stable across Germanic languages, suggesting ancient knowledge of this metal.
Tin was crucial to human civilization as a key component in bronze (tin + copper), marking the Bronze Age. Despite being called 'tin cans', most modern food containers are actually steel with a thin tin coating - the name stuck even as technology evolved.
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