tin disease
- noun
- /tɪn dɪˈziːz/
- Specialized
:
enfermedad del estaño
- At sub-zero temperatures, tin disease can cause equipment failure by turning metal brittle and crumbly.
Examples
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The historic organ pipes suffered from tin disease after a harsh winter in the church.
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Scientists studied the chemical process of tin disease to develop more resilient tin alloys.
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The old canister showed signs of tin disease.
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Many collectors are concerned about tin disease in their antiques.
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At sub-zero temperatures, tin disease can cause equipment failure by turning metal brittle and crumbly.
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Many collectors are concerned about tin disease because it deteriorates the quality of their antiques.
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The historic organ pipes suffered from tin disease, which turned the metal into a fine grey powder.
Synonyms
A change in tin that makes it break easily and turn into grey powder in very cold weather
White tin turns into a brittle grey powder in very cold temperatures
Surface Forms
Morphology
A B1 learner who knows 'tin' (the metal) and 'disease' (a condition causing deterioration) would plausibly infer that 'tin disease' refers to some pathological problem affecting tin — i.e., deterioration of the metal. However, the specific technical process (white tin turning to grey powder at low temperatures) is specialized and not predictable from the constituents alone, so the term is only partially transparent to learners.
Etymology
Tin disease imagines metal that gets 'sick': the metal tin turns from a shiny white into a grey, crumbly powder when it gets very cold, so it seems to fall apart. That's why tin disease means the metal becomes weak and breaks down, or 'deterioration'.
