tinker

noun

1. 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.”

2. (British, Ireland, dated, offensive)A member of the Irish Traveller community or of other itinerant groups; a gypsy.
3. (usually)A mischievous person, especially a playful, impish youngster.
4. Someone who repairs, or attempts repair, on anything mechanical, or who invents such devices; one who tinkers; a tinkerer.
5. (informal)An act of repair or invention.

   “I'll have a tinker and see what I can do.”

6. (obsolete)A hand mortar.
7. Any of various fish: chub mackerel, silverside, skate, or young mackerel about two years old.
8. A razor-billed auk, a bird of species (Alca torda).

verb

1. (intransitive)To work as a tinker.
2. (ambitransitive)To 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”

   “As in much of biology, the most satisfying truths in ecology derive from manipulative experimentation. Tinker with nature and quantify how it responds.”

   “And because he wants to show that he is a dominant male, he tinkered the engine of his motorbike to make it even noisier.”

   “We'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.”

name

1. A northern English surname originating as an occupation for someone who mends pots and pans.