Meanings
tinker1
nountinker (plural tinkers)
plural 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.
1988, “Mayhem Maybe”, in Ian Anderson (music), 20 Years of Jethro Tull, performed by Jethro Tull - IrelandUKdatedoffensiveA member of the Irish Traveller community or of other itinerant groups; a gypsy.
Synonyms: traveller
- usuallyA mischievous person, especially a playful, impish youngster.
Synonyms: rapscallion, rascal, rogue, scamp, scoundrel
- Someone who repairs, or attempts repair, on anything mechanical, or who invents such devices; one who tinkers; a tinkerer.
- informalAn act of repair or invention.
I'll have a tinker and see what I can do.
- obsoletegovernmentA 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).
verbtinker (third-person singular simple present tinkers, present participle tinkering, simple past and past participle tinkered)
present singular third person tinkers · participle present tinkering · participle past tinkered · past tinkered
- intransitiveTo work as a tinker.
- ambitransitiveTo fiddle with something in an attempt to fix, mend or improve it, especially in an experimental or unskilled manner.
the broken bureau-lock and tinkered window-pane
1894, Thomas Hardy, A Few Crusted Characters3 more examples
As in much of biology, the most satisfying truths in ecology derive from manipulative experimentation. Tinker with nature and quantify how it responds.
2012 January 28, Robert M. Pringle, “How to Be Manipulative”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 03 Oct 2013, page 31And because he wants to show that he is a dominant male, he tinkered the engine of his motorbike to make it even noisier.
2013, Eric Goulard, Body Language Secrets RevealedWe'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.
2020 May 20, “Network News: LNER seeks innovation through FutureLabs project”, in Rail, page 14
Tinker2
proper noun
- A northern English surname originating as an occupation for someone who mends pots and pans.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA member of the Irish Traveller community or of other itinerant groups; a gypsy.
Similar
nounA mischievous person, especially a playful, impish youngster.
verbTo fiddle with something in an attempt to fix, mend or improve it, especially in an experimental or unskilled manner.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna person who enjoys fixing and experimenting with machines and their parts
Similar
Broader
verbdo random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old English*tincere
- Middle Englishtynkere
- Englishtinker
From Middle English tynkere, perhaps from Old English *tincere, from tin (“tin”) + *cere, as in bēocere (“beekeeper”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian калайджия, палавник
- калайджия (kalajdžija)itinerant tinsmith
- палавник (palavnik)mischievous person
- калайдисвам (kalajdisvam)to work as a tinker
- поправям на бърза ръка (popravjam na bărza răka)to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Catalan trastejar
- trastejarto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Chinese Mandarin 修补匠, 鋦匠 /锔匠
- 修补匠itinerant tinsmith
- 鋦匠 /锔匠 (jūjiàng)itinerant tinsmith
- 修修补补to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Czech dráteník, klempíř
- dráteníkitinerant tinsmith
- klempířitinerant tinsmith
- tulákmember of the travelling community
- vrtat seto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- šťourat seto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Dutch sleutelen, knutselen
- sleutelento fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- knutselento fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- prutsento fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- klussento fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Finnish kattilanpaikkaaja, tinuri
- kattilanpaikkaajaitinerant tinsmith
- tinuriitinerant tinsmith
- ryökälemischievous person
- tinatato work as a tinker
- värkkäilläto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- pusatato fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- rassatato fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- värkätäto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- nikkaroidato fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- viilatato fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- näpelöidäto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- tehdä vilunkiato fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
French bricoler, bidouiller
- bricolerto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- bidouillerto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- magouillerto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- traficoterto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- manipulerto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
German Kesselflicker, Kesselflickerin
- Kesselflickeritinerant tinsmith
- Kesselflickerinitinerant tinsmith
- tüftelnto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- frickelnto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- bastelnto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Hungarian bádogos, drótostót
- bádogositinerant tinsmith
- drótostótitinerant tinsmith
- eszkábálto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- babrálto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Irish tincéir, tincéir
- tincéiritinerant tinsmith
- tincéirmember of the travelling community
- scabhaitéirmischievous person
Italian stagnino, calderaio
- stagninoitinerant tinsmith
- calderaioitinerant tinsmith
- lattoniereitinerant tinsmith
- zingaromember of the travelling community
- zingaromischievous person
- arrabattarsito fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- scervellarsito fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- smanettareto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- trafficareto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- pacioccareto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Japanese 鋳掛屋, 鋳掛師
- 鋳掛屋 (ikakeya)itinerant tinsmith
- 鋳掛師 (ikakeshi)itinerant tinsmith
- 鋳掛をする (ikake o suru)to work as a tinker
- 弄繰り回す (ijikuri mawasu)to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Malay menggodek-godek
- menggodek-godekto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Māori rāwekeweke
- rāwekeweketo fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Norwegian kjeleflikker
- kjeleflikkeritinerant tinsmith
Polish druciarz, majstrować
- druciarzitinerant tinsmith
- majstrowaćto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- majsterkowaćto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Portuguese ajeitar
- ajeitarto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Romanian tinichigiu, spoitor
- tinichigiuitinerant tinsmith
- spoitoritinerant tinsmith
- cazangiuitinerant tinsmith
- căldărarmember of the travelling community
- lingurarmember of the travelling community
- puștimischievous person
- cârpăcito fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Russian жестя́нщик, луди́льщик
- жестя́нщикitinerant tinsmith
- луди́льщикitinerant tinsmith
- озорник (ozornik)mischievous person
- ковыря́ть (kovyrjátʹ)to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- вози́ться (vozítʹsja)to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- починя́ть (počinjátʹ)to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- хими́чить (ximíčitʹ)to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Spanish cacharrear, amañar
- cacharrearto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- amañarto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- trastearto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Swedish kittelflickare, kopparslagare
- kittelflickareitinerant tinsmith
- kopparslagareitinerant tinsmith
- förtennareitinerant tinsmith
- resandemember of the travelling community
- rackaremember of the travelling community
- löskefolkmember of the travelling community
- tattaremember of the travelling community
- rackaremischievous person
- meckato fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- knåpato fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- mixtrato fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- mekato fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- joxato fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Turkish onarmak, tamir etmek
- onarmakto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
- tamir etmekto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Vietnamese táy máy
- táy máyto fiddle with something in an attempt to fix or improve it
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with tinker
linkerthinkerdrinkersinkerpinkerclinkerinkerstinkerblinkerwinkerhook, line and sinkerjinkerrod, line and sinkerswinker
All rhymes →Sounds the same
thinker (th-stopping)thinker (th-stopping)
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
tinker. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tinker
MLA
“tinker.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tinker. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tinker,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tinker.
Source: tinker on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.