tinker
/ˈtɪŋkɚ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.28 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A member of the Irish Traveller community or of other itinerant groups; a gypsy.
British usage; Dated; Offensive
noun
A mischievous person, especially a playful, impish youngster.
noun
Someone who repairs, or attempts repair, on anything mechanical, or who invents such devices; one who tinkers; a tinkerer.
noun
Any of various fish: chub mackerel, silverside, skate, or young mackerel about two years old.
noun
A razor-billed auk, a bird of species (Alca torda).
Example Sentences
- "The blacksmith chased us all to ground They searched all night we were never found The tinker boys and the sheriff's men Shaking the tallest tree."
- "I'll have a tinker and see what I can do."
- "the broken bureau-lock and tinkered window-pane"
- "As in much of biology, the most satisfying truths in ecology derive from manipulative experimentation. Tinker with nature and quantify how it responds."
- "And because he wants to show that he is a dominant male, he tinkered the engine of his motorbike to make it even noisier."
- "We're not just talking about changes that tinker around the edges - we're looking to take advantage of some of the world's latest digital and tech developments to improve our service."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: tynkere, *tincere
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈtɪŋkɚ/
- British English: /ˈtɪŋkə/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
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