Link Centre Dictionary

tinker

tin·ker

UK/ˈtɪŋkə/ US/ˈtʰɪŋkə/ fairly common informal uk
verb (3) noun (4)

verb

1.

do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly

  • “The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house”
Synonyms
2.

work as a tinker or tinkerer

3.

try to fix or mend

  • “Can you tinker with the T.V. set--it”
  • “;”
Synonyms

noun

1.

a person who enjoys fixing and experimenting with machines and their parts

Synonyms
2.
3.

a traveling repairman who mends broken things (such as metal household utensils)

Synonyms
4.

Origin

From Middle English tynkere, perhaps from Old English *tincere, from tin (“tin”) + *cere, as in bēocere (“beekeeper”).

Phrases

  • if ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers' hands
  • tinker tailor grass
  • tinker up
  • tinker's damn
  • tinker, tailor

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.