tinker
tinker Lexical Profile
tinker Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To attempt to repair, adjust, or improve something in a casual, experimental, or unfocused way.
"He spent all Saturday afternoon in the garage tinkering with the lawnmower engine until it finally started."
• noun
A person who enjoys experimenting with, adjusting, or repairing mechanical parts and devices in a casual or amateur manner.
"A natural tinker at heart, she spent her Sunday afternoons taking apart vintage radios on the workbench."
A person, historically an itinerant craftsperson, who travels from place to place mending household utensils such as pots, pans, and kettles.
"In previous centuries, the village relied on a traveling tinker to repair leaky copper kettles and sharpen dull blades."
British A mischievous, playful, or cheeky child or domestic animal.
"That little puppy is a real tinker whenever he gets hold of someone's slippers."
• Rhymes for tinker
Word Origin & Etymology
Attested in Middle English as 'tinkere' (a worker in tin and small metals), possibly echoic of the ringing sound ('tink') made when hammering metal.