Wort des Tages
27 May 2026
oil-canning
A moderate deformation or buckling of sheet material, particularly common with flat sheet metal surfaces.
Warum dieses Wort
Named for the springy bottom of an old oil can that pops in and out under thumb pressure. It is usually cosmetic rather than structural, which is exactly why arguments over it get so heated on flat panel roofing and cladding jobs.
In use
Stand at the far end and sight down the panels in low light; that's when you'll see the oil-canning on the wide flats.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.