tinker

1 of 2

verb

tin·​ker ˈtiŋ-kər 

tinkered; tinkering ˈtiŋ-k(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

: to work in the manner of a tinker

especially : to repair, adjust, or work with something in an unskilled or experimental manner : fiddle

always tinkering with his car

transitive verb

: to repair, adjust, or experiment with

tinkerer

ˈtiŋ-kər-ər 

noun

tinker

2 of 2

noun

plural tinkers

1

a

: a usually itinerant mender of household utensils

b

: an unskillful mender : bungler

2

chiefly Ireland, sometimes offensive : romani sense 1

Synonyms

Verb

• diddle (with)
• fiddle (with)
• fool (with)
• mess (with)
• monkey (with)
• play (with)
• tamper (with)
• toy (with)
• twiddle (with)

Examples of tinker in a Sentence

Verb

He was tinkering in the garage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Her best friend at the time taught Kat how to fix her own computer and inspired her habit of tinkering with the machines. —Kathy Gilsinan, WIRED, 24 Apr. 2024

The song had been tinkered with in Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament’s pre-Pearl Jam band Mother Love Bone but was never completed before frontman Andrew Wood died of a drug overdose in early 1990. —Spin Staff, SPIN, 22 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tinkere

First Known Use

Verb

1655, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tinker

• give a tinker's damn
• tinker's dam
• tinker's damn
• worth a tinker's damn

Video

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Kids Definition

tinker

1 of 2 noun

tin·​ker ˈtiŋ-kər 

: a person who travels around and earns a living by repairing household utensils (as pots and pans)

tinker

2 of 2 verb

tinkered; tinkering ˈtiŋ-k(ə-)riŋ 

: to repair or adjust something in an unskilled or experimental manner

tinkering with his car

tinkerer

-kər-ər 

noun