stream tin

Stream \Stream\ (str[=e]m), n. [AS. stre['a]m; akin to OFries.
   str[=a]m, OS. str[=o]m, D. stroom, G. strom, OHG. stroum,
   str[=u]m, Dan. & Sw. str["o]m, Icel. straumr, Ir. sroth,
   Lith. srove, Russ. struia, Gr. "ry`sis a flowing, "rei^n to
   flow, Skr. sru. [root]174. Cf. {Catarrh}, {Diarrhea},
   {Rheum}, {Rhythm}.]
   1. A current of water or other fluid; a liquid flowing
      continuously in a line or course, either on the earth, as
      a river, brook, etc., or from a vessel, reservoir, or
      fountain; specifically, any course of running water; as,
      many streams are blended in the Mississippi; gas and steam
      came from the earth in streams; a stream of molten lead
      from a furnace; a stream of lava from a volcano.
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   2. A beam or ray of light. "Sun streams." --Chaucer.
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   3. Anything issuing or moving with continued succession of
      parts; as, a stream of words; a stream of sand. "The
      stream of beneficence." --Atterbury. "The stream of
      emigration." --Macaulay.
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   4. A continued current or course; as, a stream of weather.
      "The very stream of his life." --Shak.
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   5. Current; drift; tendency; series of tending or moving
      causes; as, the stream of opinions or manners.
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   {Gulf stream}. See under {Gulf}.

   {Stream anchor}, {Stream cable}. (Naut.) See under {Anchor},
      and {Cable}.

   {Stream ice}, blocks of ice floating in a mass together in
      some definite direction.

   {Stream tin}, particles or masses of tin ore found in
      alluvial ground; -- so called because a stream of water is
      the principal agent used in separating the ore from the
      sand and gravel.

   {Stream works} (Cornish Mining), a place where an alluvial
      deposit of tin ore is worked. --Ure.

   {To float with the stream}, figuratively, to drift with the
      current of opinion, custom, etc., so as not to oppose or
      check it.
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   Syn: Current; flow; rush; tide; course.

   Usage: {Stream}, {Current}. These words are often properly
          interchangeable; but stream is the broader word,
          denoting a prevailing onward course. The stream of the
          Mississippi rolls steadily on to the Gulf of Mexico,
          but there are reflex currents in it which run for a
          while in a contrary direction.
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Tin \Tin\, n. [As. tin; akin to D. tin, G. zinn, OHG. zin, Icel.
   & Dan. tin, Sw. tenn; of unknown origin.]
   1. (Chem.) An elementary substance found as an oxide in the
      mineral cassiterite, and reduced as a soft silvery-white
      crystalline metal, with a tinge of yellowish-blue, and a
      high luster. It is malleable at ordinary temperatures, but
      brittle when heated. It is softer than gold and can be
      beaten out into very thin strips called tinfoil. It is
      ductile at 2120, when it can be drawn out into wire which
      is not very tenacious; it melts at 4420, and at a higher
      temperature burns with a brilliant white light. Air and
      moisture act on tin very slightly. The peculiar properties
      of tin, especially its malleability, its brilliancy and
      the slowness with which it rusts make it very serviceable.
      With other metals it forms valuable alloys, as bronze, gun
      metal, bell metal, pewter and solder. It is not easily
      oxidized in the air, and is used chiefly to coat iron to
      protect it from rusting, in the form of tin foil with
      mercury to form the reflective surface of mirrors, and in
      solder, bronze, speculum metal, and other alloys. Its
      compounds are designated as stannous, or stannic. Symbol
      Sn (Stannum). Atomic weight 117.4.
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   2. Thin plates of iron covered with tin; tin plate.
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   3. Money. [Cant] --Beaconsfield.
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   {Block tin} (Metal.), commercial tin, cast into blocks, and
      partially refined, but containing small quantities of
      various impurities, as copper, lead, iron, arsenic, etc.;
      solid tin as distinguished from tin plate; -- called also
      {bar tin}.

   {Butter of tin}. (Old Chem.) See {Fuming liquor of Libavius},
      under {Fuming}.

   {Grain tin}. (Metal.) See under {Grain}.

   {Salt of tin} (Dyeing), stannous chloride, especially so
      called when used as a mordant.

   {Stream tin}. See under {Stream}.

   {Tin cry} (Chem.), the peculiar creaking noise made when a
      bar of tin is bent. It is produced by the grating of the
      crystal granules on each other.

   {Tin foil}, tin reduced to a thin leaf.

   {Tin frame} (Mining), a kind of buddle used in washing tin
      ore.

   {Tin liquor}, {Tin mordant} (Dyeing), stannous chloride, used
      as a mordant in dyeing and calico printing.

   {Tin penny}, a customary duty in England, formerly paid to
      tithingmen for liberty to dig in tin mines. [Obs.]
      --Bailey.

   {Tin plate}, thin sheet iron coated with tin.

   {Tin pyrites}. See {Stannite}.
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Cassiterite \Cas*sit"er*ite\, n. [Gr. ? tin.] (Min.)
   Native tin dioxide; tin stone; a mineral occurring in
   tetragonal crystals of reddish brown color, and brilliant
   adamantine luster; also massive, sometimes in compact forms
   with concentric fibrous structure resembling wood ({wood
   tin}), also in rolled fragments or pebbly ({Stream tin}). It
   is the chief source of metallic tin. See {Black tin}, under
   {Black}.
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