ˈtɪŋkə n. & v. --n. 1 an
itinerant mender of kettles
and pans etc. 2
Sc. &
Ir. a
gypsy. 3 colloq. a
mischievous person or
animal. 4 a spell of tinkering. 5 a rough-and-ready
worker. --v. 1 intr. (foll. by
at, with)
work in an
amateurish or
desultory way,
esp. to
adjust or
mend machinery etc. 2 a intr. work as a tinker. b tr. repair (pots and pans). øøtinkerer n. [ME: orig. unkn.]