n. A playfully abusive epithet for a child.n. A mender of household utensils of tin, brass, copper, and iron; one who goes from place to place with tools and appliances for mending kettles, pans, etc.n. The act of mending, especially metal-work; the doing of the work of a tinker.n. A botcher; a bungler; an unskilful or clumsy worker; one who makes bungling attempts at making or mending something; also, a “jack of all trades,” not necessarily unskilful.n. An awkward or unskilful effort to do something; a tinkering attempt; a botch; a bungle.n. In ordnance, a small mortar fixed on a stake, and fired by a trigger and lanyard.n. A small mackerel, or one about two years old; also, the chub-mackerel. See tinker mackerel, under mackerel.n. The silversides, a fish. See cut under silver-sides.n. A stickleback, specifically the tenspined, Gasterosteus (or Pygosteus) pungitius.n. The skate.n. The razor-billed auk, Alca or Utamania torda. See cut under razorbill.n. A kind of seal. [Newfoundland.] A guillemot. Also tinkershire.To repair or put to rights, as a piece of metal-work.To repair or put into shape rudely, temporarily, or as an unskilled workman: used in allusion to the imperfect and makeshift character of ordinary work in metals: often with up, to patch up.To do the work of a tinker upon metal or the like.To work generally in an experimental or botchy way; occupy one's self with a thing carelessly or in a meddlesome way: as, to tinker with the tariff.