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Glite Dictionary
tin foil

tin foil

5 1.0
A thin sheet of metal used to wrap or cover food
  • noun
  • /tɪn fɔɪl/
translation icon : papel de aluminio
  • I used a shoe box and covered it with light silver tin foil.
  • wrapped in tin foil
  • covered in tin foil
  • piece of tin foil

I guess Jelly beans and tin foil cardboard, make sure the kids have something to bring.

Examples

  • I wrapped my sandwiches in tin foil.

    Game 6 (2006)

  • If their room is too bright, you can tape the tin foil to the windows and it will make a complete blackout.

  • I kept my sandwiches in tin foil.

    Cosmopolis (2012)

  • Dorothy was holding a plate covered with tin foil.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Steven puts a few feet of tin foil on his antenna to help the reception.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Salami wrapped in tin foil?

    Tapeworm (2019)

  • Beezus wants hers in a Ziploc, and Ramona insists on having tin foil.

    Ramona and Beezus (2010)

  • I saw a bottle of wine on the counter and hamburger patties neatly laid out on tin foil.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • I wrapped my sandwiches in tin foil to keep them fresh.

  • We roasted potatoes in tin foil on the fire during our camping trip.

Synonyms

foil
vstin foil
94 2.8

A very thin sheet of metal used to wrap or cover food

is the thin metal sheet usually used especially for food and kitchen use
wrapping
vstin foil
45 1.0

Material used to cover and protect something, like a bandage or gift paper

is a specific thin metal used mainly for covering food and kitchen items
aluminum foil
vstin foil
  • US
17 1.1

A thin sheet of metal used to wrap or cover food for cooking and storage

is a thin metal sheet generally used for covering food and other items
tinfoil
vstin foil
  • Archaic
17 1.8

A thin sheet of metal, often made of tin, that you use to wrap food

is the thin metal sheet now commonly aluminum instead of tin
cellophane
vstin foil
17 5.2

A thin, clear paperlike material used to wrap food or gifts

is a thin metal sheet for covering not a paperlike moisture barrier
plastic wrap
vstin foil
  • US
14 1.7

A thin clear plastic sheet used to cover food to keep it fresh

is a thin metal sheet used for covering rather than a plastic sheet
Saran Wrap
vstin foil
  • US
3 2.1

A thin clear plastic film used to cover food to keep it fresh

is a thin metal sheet for covering not a plastic film for freshness

Surface Forms

tin foil singular
tin foils plural

Morphology

tin + foil

The noun combines 'tin' (a metal) and 'foil' (a very thin metal sheet), so the meaning 'a thin metal sheet for wrapping' is directly and compositionally derivable from its parts. Although in modern usage the product is often aluminum rather than tin, this is a lexicalized material shift and does not prevent a B1 learner who knows the constituents from understanding the compound.

Etymology

Tin foil comes from long ago when the very thin metal sheet was really made of tin, and foil just meant a thin flat sheet. So today, even when it is made of 'aluminum', tin foil still means a very thin metal sheet used to 'wrap' or cover food.