tamper

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to interfere with or alter something without permission, often dishonestly or in a way that causes damage

   The broken seal suggested that someone had tried to tamper with the evidence.

2. 2
   verb

   to try improperly or secretly to influence a witness, juror, or other person involved in an official process

   Prosecutors warned him not to tamper with any witness before the trial.

3. 3
   noun

   a tool used to press loose material firmly down, such as coffee grounds in an espresso basket

   The barista pressed the coffee grounds evenly with a steel tamper.

Common collocations

• tamper with Verb + preposition/particle

The verb is a sixteenth-century alteration of temper, originally used for mixing, meddling, or scheming; its modern sense narrowed toward unauthorized or corrupt interference. The noun meaning a tamping tool is formed independently from tamp + -er.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images