a mender of pots, kettles, pans, etc., usually an itinerant.

an unskillful or clumsy worker; bungler.

a person skilled in various minor kinds of mechanical work; jack-of-all-trades.

an act or instance of tinkering

Let me have a tinker at that motor.

Scot., Irish English .

a gypsy.

any itinerant worker.

a wanderer.

a beggar.

chub mackerel.

to busy oneself with a thing without useful results

Stop tinkering with that clock and take it to the repair shop.

to work unskillfully or clumsily at anything.

to do the work of a tinker.

to mend as a tinker.

to repair in an unskillful, clumsy, or makeshift way.

verb

leave alone

verb

dabble , doodle * , fix , mess * , mess with , monkey * , muck about , niggle * , play , play with , puddle , putter , repair , take apart , toy , trifle with , fiddle , fool , meddle , mess , fidget , monkey , trifle , twiddle , fuss , meddler , mend , mender , patch , potter