tinkler

C2 Topic:People & Society

US /ˈtɪŋklɚ/ UK /ˈtɪŋklə/ See IPA manual

Freq #74142

Meanings

1

noun
British dialect, dated and sometimes offensive: an itinerant tinker, traveler, or member of a traveling community

The servant said the disguised fortune-teller looked like a tinkler from the road.
2

noun
a small bell or another object that makes a light ringing sound

A silver tinkler on the door announced each arriving customer.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · british dialect, dated and... tinkeritinerant metalworkertraveler

2 noun · a small bell or another... small belljingle bell

Word family

Derived forms tinklers

Related forms tinkle tinker jingle

Etymology

Two formations converged. The bell sense is tinkle + -er, literally something that tinkles. The dialect occupational sense is a variant of tinker, historically an itinerant mender of metalware; its extension to traveling people can now be derogatory and should be understood in historical context.

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

External links

# tinkler

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɪŋklɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈtɪŋklə/
**Frequency rank:** 74142

## Meanings
1. British dialect, dated and sometimes offensive: an itinerant tinker, traveler, or member of a traveling community
2. a small bell or another object that makes a light ringing sound

## Examples
- The servant said the disguised fortune-teller looked like a tinkler from the road.
- A silver tinkler on the door announced each arriving customer.

## Synonyms
- tinker
- traveler
- small bell

## Derived Forms
- tinklers

## Related Forms
- tinkle
- tinker
- jingle

## Etymology
Two formations converged. The bell sense is tinkle + -er, literally something that tinkles. The dialect occupational sense is a variant of tinker, historically an itinerant mender of metalware; its extension to traveling people can now be derogatory and should be understood in historical context.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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