tinker

[ ting-ker ]

/ ˈtɪŋ kər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR tinker ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a mender of pots, kettles, pans, etc., usually an itinerant.

an unskillful or clumsy worker; bungler.

a person skilled in various minor kinds of mechanical work; jack-of-all-trades.

an act or instance of tinkering: Let me have a tinker at that motor.

Scot., Irish English.

a gypsy.
any itinerant worker.
a wanderer.
a beggar.

chub mackerel.

verb (used without object)

to busy oneself with a thing without useful results: Stop tinkering with that clock and take it to the repair shop.

to work unskillfully or clumsily at anything.

to do the work of a tinker.

verb (used with object)

to mend as a tinker.

to repair in an unskillful, clumsy, or makeshift way.

Origin of tinker

1225–75; Middle English tinkere (noun), syncopated variant of tinekere worker in tin

OTHER WORDS FROM tinker

tin·ker·er, noun un·tin·kered, adjective

Words nearby tinker

tingley, tingly, tinhorn, tinia, tinian, tinker, tinker with, tinker's cuss, tinker's dam, tinker's damn, tinker's weed

Example sentences from the Web for tinkering

There is no improvising, no tinkering with the script and very little room for actors to suggest improvements.

The Cast of ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ Says Wes Anderson Is a Genius Hardass |Nico Hines |February 16, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It refers to what Americans call eau-de-vie, though Austrians have been tinkering with and perfecting the drink for centuries.

What to Drink When it’s Cold? The Glory of Austrian Schnaps |Jordan Salcito |January 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Among the series currently in production, tinkering with the kids-and-fame formula is still the order of the day.

How to Curate Your Tween’s TV Time, From ‘Big Time Rush’ to ‘Dog with a Blog’ |Barbara Spindel |March 26, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Social Security's problems are modest anyway compared to Medicare, and tinkering with the cap should fix a good portion of it.

Republicans and Entitlements |Michael Tomasky |March 1, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

That is why tinkering with Social Security has become “the third rail of American politics.”

Obama Gambles His Presidency on Entitlements |Jack W. Germond |July 9, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
First and last, about two score of them must have chanced along in the hour I was tinkering with my boat late Sunday afternoon.

Down the Yellowstone |Lewis R. Freeman
It put me to some expense every year, tinkering of it up where the poor lumber warped and split.

Strangers and Wayfarers |Sarah Orne Jewett
I am one of those who never believe in tinkering in the matter of legislation.

India for Indians |C. R. (Chittaranjan) Das
All that sort of thing, in my opinion, is like tinkering with the works of a clock—amateur tinkering, I mean.

The Terror |Arthur Machen
The long line of trucks is drawn up not far from the field entrance, and the drivers are tinkering them for tomorrow.

At Plattsburg |Allen French

British Dictionary definitions for tinkering

tinker

/ (ˈtɪŋkə) /

noun

(esp formerly) a travelling mender of pots and pans

a clumsy worker

the act of tinkering

Scot and Irish another name for Gypsy

British informal a mischievous child

any of several small mackerels that occur off the North American coast of the Atlantic

verb

(intr foll by with) to play, fiddle, or meddle (with machinery, etc), esp while undertaking repairs

to mend (pots and pans) as a tinker

Derived forms of tinker

tinkerer, noun

Word Origin for tinker

C13 tinkere, perhaps from tink tinkle, of imitative origin

Idioms and Phrases with tinkering

tinker

In addition to the idiom beginning with tinker

tinker with

also see:

not worth a damn (tinker's damn)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tinker

noun

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

Origin of tinker

OTHER WORDS FROM tinker

Words nearby tinker

Example sentences from the Web for tinkering

British Dictionary definitions for tinkering

noun

verb

Derived forms of tinker

Word Origin for tinker

Idioms and Phrases with tinkering

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tinker

noun

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

Origin of tinker

OTHER WORDS FROM tinker

Words nearby tinker

Words related to tinkering

Example sentences from the Web for tinkering

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for tinkering

noun

verb

Derived forms of tinker

Word Origin for tinker

Idioms and Phrases with tinkering

British Dictionary definitions for tinkering