Tinker - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
To tinker means to make small adjustments or repairs, often in an experimental or casual way. It implies working on something without a fixed plan, usually to improve or fix it.
Definition:
To make small, often experimental changes or repairs, especially to machinery or devices.
Synonyms:
fiddle, adjust, modify, tamper
Part of Speech:
verb, noun
Antonyms:
leave alone, preserve
Common Collocations:
tinker with tools, tinker endlessly, tinker around the house
Derivatives:
tinkering, tinkerer
Usage Tips:
Use "tinker" for minor adjustments; avoid for major repairs or formal contexts.
Common Phrases:
tinker's damn, not worth a tinker's curse
Etymology:
From Middle English "tinkere," meaning a mender of metal pots or pans.
Examples:
- 1. He likes to tinker with old radios in his garage.
- 2. Don’t tinker with the settings unless you know what you’re doing.
- 3. She spent the afternoon tinkering on her bicycle.
- 4. The inventor was known to tinker endlessly with his creations.