tinker
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tinker¹
- /ˈtɪŋkə/ UK
- [ˈtʰɪŋkə] UK
- /ˈtɪŋkɚ/ US
- [ˈtʰɪŋkɚ] ~ [ˈtʰɪŋkɹ̩] US
Sounds like thinker (th-stopping) · Rhymes with -ɪŋkə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English tynkere, perhaps from Old English *tincere, from tin (“tin”) + *cere, as in bēocere (“beekeeper”).
noun tinkers
- An itinerant tinsmith and mender of household utensils made of metal. 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.
-
A member of the Irish Traveller community or of other itinerant groups; a gypsy.
Similar: traveller
-
A mischievous person, especially a playful, impish youngster.
Similar: rapscallion, rascal, rogue, scamp, scoundrel
- Someone who repairs, or attempts repair, on anything mechanical, or who invents such devices; one who tinkers; a tinkerer.
- An act of repair or invention. I'll have a tinker and see what I can do.
- A hand mortar.
- Any of various fish: chub mackerel, silverside, skate, or young mackerel about two years old.
- A razor-billed auk, a bird of species (Alca torda).
Tinker²
proper noun
- A northern English surname originating as an occupation for someone who mends pots and pans.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: potter, mender, monkey, muck around, putter, mess around, monkey around, chub mackerel, scomber japonicus, cloche, vixen, alter, toy, redesign, fairy, amend
Translations
Every language
noun itinerant tinsmith
| 日本語 | 鋳掛屋 ikakeya, 鋳掛師 ikakeshi |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 修补匠, 鋦匠 /锔匠 jūjiàng |
| Deutsch | Kesselflicker, Kesselflickerin |
| Italiano | stagnino, calderaio, lattoniere |
| Română | tinichigiu, spoitor, cazangiu |
| Русский | жестя́нщик, луди́льщик |
verb to work as a tinker
| 日本語 | 鋳掛をする ikake o suru |
|---|
verb to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
| Español | cacharrear, amañar, trastear |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 弄繰り回す ijikuri mawasu |
| 中文 | 修修补补 |
| Português | ajeitar |
| Français | bricoler, bidouiller, magouiller, traficoter, manipuler |
| Deutsch | tüfteln, frickeln, basteln |
| Italiano | arrabattarsi, scervellarsi, smanettare, trafficare, pacioccare |
| Română | cârpăci |
| Русский | ковыря́ть kovyrjátʹ, вози́ться vozítʹsja, починя́ть počinjátʹ, хими́чить ximíčitʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | táy máy |
Talk about this word "tinker." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tinker. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tinker. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tinker "tinker." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tinker.Cite this
@misc{tinker_2026,
title = {tinker},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tinker},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
