tinker

To try to repair or improve something by making small changes, often without much skill.

• He likes to tinker with old radios.
• I tinkered with the settings until the picture improved.
• Have you been tinkering with my bike again?

How to use it: tinker with something (She spent the afternoon tinkering with the engine.)

Similar words: fiddle, experiment

Common phrases: tinker with something, tinker with engines, tinker around

To earn a living by repairing metal pots and other household objects.

• He tinkered for a living.
• His father tinkered in villages along the coast.
• She learned to tinker by repairing old metal pans.

Common phrases: tinker for a living, tinker in villages

A person who experiments with making or repairing machines and other objects.

• My grandfather was a keen tinker.
• The tinker built a small engine from spare parts.
• Local tinkers gathered to share their homemade machines.

Similar words: tinkerer, amateur mechanic

Common phrases: an amateur tinker, a skilled tinker

A person who traveled from place to place repairing metal pots and other household objects.

• The tinker repaired our pan.
• A traveling tinker visited the village each spring.
• People brought their broken metal pots to the tinker.

Similar words: itinerant tinsmith

Common phrases: a traveling tinker, the village tinker

A playful person, especially a child who causes small amounts of trouble.

• You little tinker!
• That cheeky tinker hid my glasses again.
• The children were lovable tinkers who kept everyone busy.

Similar words: rascal, scamp

Common phrases: little tinker, cheeky tinker

An attempt to repair or improve something by making small changes.

• I’ll have a tinker with it.
• A quick tinker got the radio working again.
• She gave the engine a tinker before calling a mechanic.

How to use it: have a tinker with something (Let me have a tinker with your bike.)

Similar words: adjustment, repair attempt

Common phrases: have a tinker, a quick tinker, give something a tinker