tinkerer

tin·ker  (tngkr)

n.

1. A traveling mender of metal household utensils.

2. Chiefly British A member of any of various traditionally itinerant groups of people living especially in Scotland and Ireland; a traveler.

3. One who enjoys experimenting with and repairing machine parts.

4. A clumsy repairer or worker; a meddler.

v. tin·kered, tin·ker·ing, tin·kers

v.intr.

1. To work as a tinker.

2. To make unskilled or experimental efforts at repair; fiddle: tinkered with the engine, hoping to discover the trouble; tinkering with the economy by trying various fiscal policies.

v.tr.

1. To mend as a tinker.

2. To manipulate unskillfully or experimentally.

---

[Middle English tinkere.]

---

tinker·er n.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	tinkerer - an unskilled person who tries to fix or mend fiddler unskilled person - a person who lacks technical training
	2.	tinkerer - a person who enjoys fixing and experimenting with machines and their parts tinker experimenter - a person who enjoys testing innovative ideas; "she was an experimenter in new forms of poetry"