• TIN
adj. 1. mean, petty, worthless, counterfeit, false …1886
n. 1. money, cash …1836 sl.
n. 2. a police officer’s badge or shield …1949 US sl.
n. 3. a small quantity of an illicit drug, esp. from two to give grams of cocaine usually sold in a small plastic bag, a glassine envelope, or often a small tin container …1960s US drug culture sl.
• TINAGE
n. a large earthenware jar …1574 obs.
• TIN CAN
n. 1. 1923 US sl. – a car, esp. a model T Ford
n. 2. 1937 US Navy sl. – a naval warship, esp. a destroyer
n.3. World War II usage – a depth charge
• TIN-CAN ALLEY
n. a poor or shabby street or section of town …1898 Amer. dial.
• TIN COW
n. tinned milk ..1920s US tramps’ sl.
• TINCT
adj. coloured, tinted; dyed, tinged …1579 poetic usage
n. 1. colour, hue, tint; colouring matter, dye …1602 now only poetic usage
n. 2. a touch, trace, or tinge of something …1752 now only poetic usage
vb. to colour; to dye; to tinge, to tint …1594 obs.
• TINCTION
n. 1. in baptism: a dipping …1657 obs.
n. 2. the act of imbuing with colour; colouring, tinging, tinting …1888
• TINCTORIAL
adj. pert. to or used n dyeing; yielding or using dye or colouring matter …1655
• TINCTORIOUS
adj. pert. to or used n dyeing; yielding or using dye or colouring matter …1786 rare
• TINCTUMUTANT
n. 1895 rare – an animal that changes colour
• TINCTUMUTATION
n. 1895 rare – change of colour
• TINCTURE
n. 1. 1477 rare – hue, colour; a tinge, tint
n. 2. 1601 obs. – the act of dyeing, staining, or colouring
n. 3. 1612 obs. – affectedly used for baptism
n. 4. a1640 obs. – a stain, a blemish
n. 5. c1400 obs. – a colouring matter, dye, pigment; a dye used as a cosmetic
n. 6. 1914 sl. – a small drink of spirits
• TIND
vb. 1. to set fire to; to ignite, to light, to kindle, as a fire, lamp, torch, flame, etc. …a1000 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
vb. 2. to enflame, to excite, to arouse, to inspire …c1175 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
• TINDER
n. fire, a spark …1570 obs.
vb. to become enflamed, to glow, to burn …c1230 obs. rare
• TINDERBOX
n. a person or thing that is highly excitable, explosive, etc.; a potential source of widespread violence; a source of heated strife …1598
• TIN DERBY
n. a steel helmet …World War I Amer. sl.
• TINDERY
adj. easily enflamed, passionate …1754
• TIN DIP
n. a steel helmet …World War I Amer. sl.
• TIN DOG
n. canned meat …20C Aust. & NZ sl.
• TINE
adj. very small, tiny, diminutive …a1400-50 obs.
n. 1. a rung or step of a ladder …a1225 obs. rare
n. 2. a small branch or twig of a tree; the stalk of a fruit …1300s obs. rare
n. 3. loss …c1320 obs. rare
n. 4. a vessel for brewing; a tub, a vat …1337 obs.
n. 5. each of the pointed branches of a deer’s horn …c1375
n. 6. a very little space, time, or amount; a bit …c1420 obs.
n. 7. affliction; trouble; sorrow …1590 obs.
n. 8. each of two branches of a stream …1875
vb. 1. to enclose with a hedge or fence; to fence, to hedge in …688-95 obs.
vb. 2. to close or shut, as a door, gate, window, house, one’s mouth, eyes, etc. …a900 obs.
vb. 3. to fail to gain, attain or win; to lose the battle, to be defeated …c1250 chiefly Sc. & N. Eng. dial. obs.
vb. 4. to lose; to suffer deprivation of; to cease to have or enjoy …a1300 chiefly Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
vb. 5. to ruin, to destroy, to bring to nought …a1300 chiefly Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
vb. 6. to enclose or shut something up in something …1300s obs.
vb. 7. to be lost, ruined, or destroyed; to perish …1300s chiefly Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
vb. 8. to spend in vain or to no purpose; to waste …c1330 chiefly Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
vb. 9. to suffer loss …1340 chiefly Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
vb. 10. to confine. to restrain to something …c1430 obs.
vb. 11. to cause the loss of …c1470 chiefly Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
vb. 12. to let slip from one’s remembrance; to forget …1513 chiefly Sc. & Eng. dial.
vb. 13. to leave far behind, as in a race; to outstrip entirely; to get far ahead of …1871 chiefly Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
• TIN EAR
n. 1. 1909 US sl. – unselective and unmusical hearing; auditory tastelessness
n. 2. 1910s Aust. & US sl. – an eavesdropper
n. 3. 1923 sl. – an ear swollen by blows
n. 4. 1930s Aust. & US sl. – a fool; a simpleton
(verbs as ‘tin-ear’)
vb. 1. 1910s Aust. & US sl. – to eavesdrop
vb. 2. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – to listen intently
• TIN-EARED
adj. foolish …1930s sl.
• TIN-EAR LAD OF TIN-PAN ALLEY
n. a songwriter …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• TINE ONE’S DAM
vb. ‘to bepiss one’s self’ …1825 Sc. obs.
• TINER
n. a loser …1540 Sc. obs. or arch.
• TINESY-WEENSY
adj. very small, tiny …1955 Amer. dial.
• TIN FISH
n. a torpedo …1915 sl.
• TIN FLUTE
n. a suit …20C rhyming sl.
• TING-A-LING
n. 1. a ring …1940s Aust. rhyming sl.
n. 2. in music: a triangle …1941 Amer. dial.
n. 3. a bell …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• TING-A-RING
n. the sound of the continued ringing of a small bell, or the like; ting-a-ling …1833
• TINGENT
adj. that tinges or colours; colouring; dyeing …1650 now rare or obs.
• TINGFANGS
n. the temples of the head …1929 Sc. obs.
• TINGIBLE
adj. capable of being tinged or coloured …1656 rare
• TIN-GLASS
n. tin …1601 obs. rare
• TINGLE
n. a call on the telephone …1940s Aust. sl.
• TINGLE BONE
n. the funny bone …1968 Amer. dial.
• TINGLER
n. something that causes tingling, as a blow …1831
•TINGLE-TANGLE
adj. tinkling or ringing, as bells …1653
n. 1. a confused tinkling or ringing, as a number of bells …1670
n. 2. fig. a disturbance, a to-do, a fuss …1880
n. 3. a small bell …B1900
• TINGLING BONE
n. the funny bone …1968 Amer. dial.
• TIN GOD
n. a person who considers himself or herself infallible and tries to impose judgements, beliefs, standards of behaviour, etc., on subordinates; a self-important, dictatorial person in a position of authority, as an employer, military officer, critic, or teacher …1886
• TIN GRIN
n. a person wearing orthodontic braces …1970s sl.
• TING-TANG
n. 1. the alternating sound made by the ringing of a small bell; hence, a small bell …1680
n. 2. a jingling repetition of sounds, rhyme …1686
• TIN HAT
n. a military steel helmet …1903 sl.
• TIN HATS
adj. drunk …1909 Brit. nautical sl.
• TIN HENRY
n. an automobile, esp. a Ford …1928 Amer. dial.
• TINHORN
adj. cheap and insignificant; worthless; small-time…1880 sl.
n. 1. someone, esp. a gambler, who pretends to be important but actually has little money, influence, or skill …1857 sl.
n. 2. a pretentious or flashy person …1887 US sl.
n. 3. (as ‘tin horn’) a metal culvert …1959 Amer. dial.
• TINHORN GAMBLER
n. 1885 US sl. – a petty buy flashy gambler, or any person with those characteristics
• TINHORN SPORT
n. a contemptible person …1906 US sl.
• TINING
n. 1. destruction …a1300 obs.
n. 2. the act of losing; loss …c1375 obs. exc. Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
• TINK
n. a representation of the abrupt sound made by striking resonant metal with something hard and light; a tinkle …1609
vb. 1. to emit a metallic sound with very short resonance, as is done by a cracked bell; to tinkle …1382
vb. 2. to mend pots and pans, as a tinker …a1400
• TINKER
n. 1. a craftsman (usually itinerant) who mends pots, kettles, and other metal household utensils …c1265
n. 2. in Scotland and north of Ireland, the ordinary name for a gypsy …1561
n. 3. a vagabond, a tramp; a reputed thief …1561 obs.
n. 4. a clumsy or inefficient mender; a botcher …1644-7
n. 5. a jack-of-all-trades …1905 US
n. 6. a beggar …Sc., Irish
n. 7. a wanderer …Sc., Irish
n. 8. an unskilful or clumsy worker; a bungler
n. 9. any itinerant worker …Sc., Irish
vb. 1. to work as a tinker; to mend metal utensils, esp. in a clumsy, bungling, or imperfect way …1592
vb. 2. to trifle, to potter …1658
vb. 3. to batter, to maul …1826 boxing sl.
• TINKERER
n. one who tinkers or works at mending something in a clumsy or ineffective way …1894
• TINKERLY
adj. clumsy, bungling, unskilful; of poor quality; mean, low, disreputable …1586
• TINKER’S TARTAN
n. a mottled discolouration of the legs caused by sitting too close to a fire …1964 Sc.
• TINKLE
n. 1. a telephone call …1938 US sl.
n. 2. urination …1965 sl.
vb. 1. to rhyme or jingle …1626
vb. 2. to talk idly, to prate, to utter empty sounds or senseless words …1641
vb. 3. to urinate …1950 sl., orig. US
• TINKLER
n. 1. a tinker; a worker in metal; in Scotland, north of England, and Ireland, a gypsy or other itinerant mender of pots, pans, and metal-work …c1175 Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
n. 2. a small bell …1600
n. 3. a rhymester …1840
• TINKLE-TANKLE
n. tinkling with alternation of sound …a1619
• TINKLING
n. the ringing of the ears …1495 rare
• TIN KNOCKER
n. a tinsmith, a plumber …Bk1913-17 Amer. dial.
• TIN LID
n. a child …1905 Aust. rhyming sl. for ‘kid’
• TIN LIZZIE
n. a small, cheap automobile in run-down condition, esp. a Model T Ford …1910 sl.
• TINMAN
n. a very rich man; a millionaire …L19 sporting sl.
• TINNED
adj. drunk …L19 sl.
• TINNEN
adj. made or consisting of tin …c1000 obs.
• TINNED DOG
n. tinned meat …1895 sl.
• TINNEL
vb. of trees: to die away …B1900 Eng. dial. obs.
• TINNIE
n. 1. a can of beer …1964 Aust. sl., orig. surfer
n. 2. a small aluminium boat …1960s Aust. sl.
n. 3. silver foil, as used in smoking heroin …1980s NZ drug culture sl.
• TINNIENT
adj. emitting a clear ringing or tinkling sound; ringing, resonant…1668 obs.
• TINNIFIED
adj. made tinny or like tin; impregnated with tin …1794 rare
• TINNIKIN
n. a very small tin or mug …1896 Sc. rare
• TINNIMENT
n. a ringing or tinkling, as metals do …1656 obs. rare
• TINNITATE
vb. to ring, to give forth a ringing sound …1866 nonce word
• TINNY
adj. 1. having plenty of ‘tin’; rich, wealthy …1871 sl.
adj. 2. lucky …1910s Aust. & NZ sl.
adj. 3. cheap, second-rate …1920s sl.
adj. 4. not strong or durable; flimsy, shoddy
adj. 5. mean, grasping …1930s Aust. & NZ sl.
n. 1. a fire …E19 sl.
n. 2. a can of beer …1964 Aust. sl., orig. surfer
n. 3. a small aluminium boat …1960s Aust. sl.
• TINNY-HUNTER
n. a thief who robs people whose homes are burning down, while pretending to give assistance …L18 sl.
• TIN OF BEANS
n. jeans …1960s rhyming sl.
• TIN OF FRUIT
n. 1920s rhyming sl. – a suit
• TIN PAN ALLEY
n. the centre of the music business, esp. that area where music writers, lyricists and song pluggers have their offices …L19 sl., orig. US
• TIN-PANNING
n. a noisy celebration following a wedding …c1938 Amer. dial.
• TIN PANTS
n. heavy waterproof trousers …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• TIN PLATE
n. a friend …20C rhyming sl. for ‘mate’
• TIN-POT
adj. 1. inferior; paltry; shoddy; insignificant; trivial; worthless …1765
adj. 2. of a place: small, insignificant …L19 NZ sl.
adj. 3. wretched, miserable …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• TIN-POTTER
n. an idler, one who shirks their duties by claiming to be ill …1867 nautical sl.
• TINPOTTY
adj. wretched, miserable …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• TIN ROOSTER
n. an alarm clock …1953 Amer. dial.
• TINSEL
n. 1. the losing of something, or the sustaining of harm, damage, or detriment; loss …a1300 obs.
n. 2. anything showy or attractive with little or no intrinsic worth; something that gives a deceptively fine or glittering appearance …1660
vb. to subject to loss; to impoverish …1475 Sc. obs. rare
• TINSELLED
adj. having a flashy superficial splendour without intrinsic value …1651
• TINSELLY
adj. cheap and gaudy …1805
• TINSELRY
n. cheap and pretentious display …1820
• TINSEL TEETH
n. a person wearing orthodontic braces …1970s US students’ sl.
• TINSEL TOWN
n. 1. Hollywood, California …1970s sl.
n. 2. Sydney …1980s Aust. sl.
• TINSEY
adj. very small, tiny; also used as a nickname …1851 Amer. dial.
• TIN SHIN OFF
vb. to abscond with money …L19 US sl.
• TIN SOLDIER
n. a prostitute’s client, usually middle-class or upper-class, who doesn’t want sex but only to act as a servant or ‘slave’ to the prostitute …1970s sl.
• TIN STAR
n. a private detective …20C US sl.
• TINSY
adj. very small, tiny …1936 Amer. dial.
• TINSY-WINSY
adj. very small, tiny …1870 Amer. dial.
• TINT
adj. lost …a1340 obs. exc. Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
n. a measure of liquor …20C Irish sl.
• TIN TABERNACLE
n. any church with an iron or tin roof …L19 sl.
• TIN-TACK
n. dismissal from a job …L19 rhyming sl. for ‘sack’
• TIN-TACKS
n. facts …20C rhyming sl.
• TINTAGE
n. tints in the mass; tinting …1859 rare
• TINTAMARRE
n. a loud and confused noise, uproar, clamour, racket, din, hubbub …1567 rare
• TIN TANK
n. a bank …L19 rhyming sl.
• TINTED
adj. tainted …1967 Amer. dial.
• TINTER
n. a seesaw …1937 Amer. dial.
• TINTER BOARD
n. a seesaw …1943 Amer. dial.
• TIN TERMITES
n. rust …1972 UK sl.
• TINTERNEL
n. ? some form of instrumental music …1575 obs.
• TINT FOR TANT
n. retaliation, retort in kind, tit for tat …1620 obs.
• TIN THRONE
n. a chamber pot …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• TINTINNABULANT
adj. ringing or tinkling as a small bell; jingling …1812
• TINTINNABULAR
adj. pert. to bells or bell-ringing; of the nature of a bell …1767
• TINTINNABULARY
adj. pert. to bells or bell-ringing; of the nature of a bell …1787
n. a bell-ringer …1825
• TINTINNABULATE
adj. bell-shaped …1874 rare
vb. to ring, to tinkle …1906
• TINTINNABULATION
n. a ringing of a bell; bell-ringing; the sound of music so produced …1831
• TINTINNABULATORY
adj. pert. to bells or bell-ringing …1827
• TINTINNABULE
n. a bell …1834 humorous nonce word
• TINTINNABULISM
n. the art or practice of bell-ringing …1826 nonce word
• TINTINNABULIST
n. a professional bell-ringer …1830
• TINTINNABULOUS
adj. pert. to bell-ringing …1791-3
• TINTINNABULUM
n. 1. a small tinkling bell …1398
n. 2. a percussion instrument, consisting of a number of bells suspended in a frame …1877
• TINTINNATE
vb. to ring, as a bell; to tinkle …1623 obs. rare
• TINTINNATION
n. a ringing like a bell …1658 obs. rare
• TINTREGH
n. torment, torture …c893 obs.
• TINTREGHE
vb. to torment, to torture …c1175 obs.
• TINTS
n. 1. fashionable dark glasses …1950s African-American sl.
n. 2. tinted car windows …1980 US sl.
• TINTSY
adj. very small, tiny …1905 Amer. dial.
• TINTSY-WINTSY
adj. minute, tiny, very small …1901 Amer. dial.
• TIN-TYPE
adj. old …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
• TIN WILLIE
n. a Ford ambulance …World War I Amer. sl.
• TINY
n. 1. a very small amount …a1650 obs. rare
n. 2. a very small child; a tiny one; an infant …1863
n. 3. a nickname for a fat person …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
n. 4. a very young member of a youth gang …1981 US sl.
• TINY GANGSTER
n. a young member of a youth gang …1989 US sl.
• TINY TIM
n. a £5 note; the sum of £5 …1992 UK rhyming sl. for ‘flim’
• TIO TACO
n. a Mexican-American who curries favour with the dominant White culture; a Mexican who is considered insufficiently nationalistic by others …1969 US sl., derogatory
Back to INDEX T
Back to DICTIONARY
Updated: February 27, 2023
Lexicophilia 