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Webster 1913 Edition


Tinker

Tink′er

,
Noun.
[From
Tink
, because the tinker’s way of proclaiming his trade is to beat a kettle, or because in his work he makes a
tinkling
noise.
Johnson
.]
1.
A mender of brass kettles, pans, and other metal ware.
“Tailors and tinkers.”
Piers Plowman.
2.
One skilled in a variety of small mechanical work.
3.
(Ordnance)
A small mortar on the end of a staff.
4.
(Zool.)
(a)
A young mackerel about two years old.
(b)
The chub mackerel.
(c)
The silversides.
(d)
A skate.
[Prov. Eng.]
5.
(Zool.)
The razor-billed auk.

Tink′er

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Tinkered
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Tinkering
.]
To mend or solder, as metal wares; hence, more generally, to mend.

Tink′er

,
Verb.
I.
To busy one's self in mending old kettles, pans, etc.; to play the tinker; to be occupied with small mechanical works.

Webster 1828 Edition


Tinker

TINK'ER

,
Noun.
A mender of brass kettles,pans and the like.

Definition 2024


Tinker

Tinker

See also: tinker

English

Proper noun

Tinker

  1. A northern English surname for someone who mends pots and pans.

Anagrams

tinker

tinker

See also: Tinker

English

Noun

tinker (plural tinkers)

  1. an itinerant tinsmith and mender of household utensils made of tin
  2. (dated, chiefly Britain and Ireland, offensive) A member of the travelling 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 (tinkers) or invents; a tinkerer.
  5. The act of repair or invention.
  6. (military, obsolete) A small mortar on the end of a staff.
  7. Any of various fish: the chub mackerel, 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 1, Robert M. Pringle, “How to Be Manipulative”, in American Scientist, 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.

Translations

See also

Anagrams