A steel can, tin can, tin, or can is a container made of thin metal, for distribution or storage of goods. Some cans are opened by removing the top panel with a can opener or other tool; others have covers removable by hand without a tool. Cans can store a broad variety of contents: food, beverages, oil, chemicals, etc.
An empty tin can
A can of French linseed oil
Compressed gas with dispensing valve
Can of lighter fluid
A can opener or tin opener is a mechanical device used to open metal tin cans. Although preservation of food using tin cans had been practiced since at least 1772 in the Netherlands, the first can openers were not patented until 1855 in England and 1858 in the United States. These early openers were basically variations of a knife, though the 1855 design continues to be produced.
A late-20th-century can opener with a rotating cutting wheel and a counter-rotating serrated wheel, for left-handed use
Peach can, September 5, 1856
"Simplex" can sealing machine
A can opener's twist key