verb / noun
tinker
TING-kur/tˈɪŋkɝ/
A traveling repairer of metal household utensils.
The tinker repairs a kettle beside his traveling cart.
Etymology
A tinker mended pots and pans; doing that work gave the verb its sense of making rough or temporary repairs, later experimental adjustments. The occupational name's deeper origin is uncertain.
In context
Now that we are nearing Japan; heave- to here for a week to tinker a parcel of old hoops? Either do that, sir, or waste in one day more oil than we may make good in a year.
More examples
- The family saves its damaged pots for the tinker's next visit.
- Two tinkers arrive with tools and a cart full of pans.
- She pays the tinker to mend a hole in her kettle.
Forms
tinker · tinkers
Similar words
- repairer
- Fixes things generally, not necessarily metal utensils or while traveling.
- tinsmith
- Makes or repairs tin items, without necessarily traveling.