tinker

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See also: Tinker

English

Etymology

From Middle English tinkere, perhaps from Old English *tincere, from tin (“tin”) + Old English *cere (as in bēocere (“beekeeper”)), from Proto-Germanic *kazjaz (“vessel-maker”), from Proto-Germanic *kazą (“vessel; vat; tub”).

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /tɪŋkə(ɹ)/
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GA" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /tɪŋkɚ/
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E.
    Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: tin‧ker
  • Rhymes: -ɪŋkə(r)

Noun

tinker (plural tinkers)

  1. An itinerant tinsmith and mender of household utensils made of metal.
  2. (dated, chiefly British and Ireland, offensive) A member of the Irish Traveller community. A gypsy.
  3. (usually with "little") A mischievous person, especially a playful, impish youngster.
  4. Someone who repairs, or attempts repair, on anything mechanical, or who invents such devices; one who tinkers; a tinkerer.
  5. The act of repair or invention. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  6. (military, obsolete) A hand mortar.
  7. Any of various fish: the chub mackerel(Please check if this is already defined at target. Replace {{vern}} with a regular link if already defined. Add novern=1 if not defined.), the silverside, the skate, or a young mackerel about two years old.
  8. A bird, the razor-billed auk.

Synonyms

Translations

Verb

tinker (third-person singular simple present tinkers, present participle tinkering, simple past and past participle tinkered)

  1. (intransitive) To fiddle with something in an attempt to fix, mend or improve it, especially in an experimental or unskilled manner.
    • 2012 January, Robert M. Pringle, “How to Be Manipulative”, in American Scientist‎[1], volume 100, number 1, page 31:
      As in much of biology, the most satisfying truths in ecology derive from manipulative experimentation. Tinker with nature and quantify how it responds.
  2. (intransitive) To work as a tinker.
  3. (transitive) To tinker with; to tweak or attempt to fix.
    • G. K. Chesterton
      the broken bureau-lock and tinkered window-pane
    • 2013, Eric Goulard, Body Language Secrets Revealed:
      And because he wants to show that he is a dominant male, he tinkered the engine of his motorbike to make it even noisier.

Translations

See also

Further reading

Anagrams

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