Tinker vs. Gypsy — What's the Difference?

Tinker or tinkerer is an archaic term for an itinerant tinsmith who mends household utensils.

See Romani.

A traveling mender of metal household utensils.

The Romani language.

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

A member of any of various traditionally itinerant groups unrelated to the Romani.

One who enjoys experimenting with and repairing machine parts.

A part-time or temporary member of a college faculty.

A clumsy repairer or worker; a meddler.

A member of the chorus line in a theater production.

To work as a tinker.

Alternative form of Gypsy: a member of the Romani people.

To make unskilled or experimental efforts at repair; fiddle

(colloquial) An itinerant person or any person, not necessarily Romani; a tinker, a traveller or a carny.

To mend as a tinker.

A move in contra dancing in which two dancers walk in a circle around each other while maintaining eye contact (but not touching as in a swing). whole gyp, half gyp, and gypsy meltdown, in which this step precedes a swing.}}

To manipulate unskillfully or experimentally.

(theater) A member of a Broadway musical chorus line.

An itinerant tinsmith and mender of household utensils made of metal.

(dated) A person with a dark complexion.

A member of the Irish Traveller community or of other itinerant groups. A gypsy.

(dated) A sly, roguish woman.

(usually with "little") A mischievous person, especially a playful, impish youngster.

Alternative form of Gypsy: of or belonging to the Romani people.

Someone who repairs, or attempts repair, on anything mechanical, or who invents such devices; one who tinkers; a tinkerer.

(offensive) Of or having the qualities of an itinerant person or group with qualities traditionally ascribed to Romani people; making a living from dishonest practices or theft etc.

The act of repair or invention. en

(intransitive) To roam around the country like a gypsy.

A hand mortar.

To perform the gypsy step in contra dancing.

Any of various fish: chub mackerel, silverside, skate, or young mackerel about two years old.

One of a vagabond race, whose tribes, coming originally from India, entered Europe in the 14th or 15th century, and are now scattered over Turkey, Russia, Hungary, Spain, England, etc., living by theft, fortune telling, horsejockeying, tinkering, etc. Cf. Bohemian, Romany.

A bird, the razor-billed auk.

The language used by the gypsies.

(intransitive) To work as a tinker.

A dark-complexioned person.

(ambitransitive) To fiddle with something in an attempt to fix, mend or improve it, especially in an experimental or unskilled manner.

A cunning or crafty person.

A mender of brass kettles, pans, and other metal ware.

Pertaining to, or suitable for, gypsies.

One skilled in a variety of small mechanical work.

To play the gypsy; to picnic in the woods.

A small mortar on the end of a staff.

A member of a nomadic people originating in northern India and now living on all continents

A young mackerel about two years old.

The Indic language of the Gypsies

The razor-billed auk.

To mend or solder, as metal wares; hence, more generally, to mend.

To busy one's self in mending old kettles, pans, etc.; to play the tinker; to be occupied with small mechanical works.

A person who enjoys fixing and experimenting with machines and their parts

An itinerant Gypsy

A traveling repairman who mends broken things (such as metal household utensils)

Small mackerel found nearly worldwide

Do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly;

Work as a tinker or tinkerer

Try to fix or mend;