---
title: tinker — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «tinker» in the school dictionary: A tinker is a travelling person who mends pots and pans. (old use). Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# tinker

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** tinker, travelling person, Dad, I · **What happens:** travel, be, mend, try, adjust, like · **To what, where:** travelling person, pots, tinker, kettle, hour tinkering

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«tinker» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 3 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [tinker in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tinker.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A tinker is a travelling person who mends pots and pans. (old use).

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A tinker is a travelling person who mends pots and pans.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tinker:m1:1
# text = A tinker is a travelling person who mends pots and pans.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	tinker	tinker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	travelling	travel	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	amod	_	_
6	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
8	mends	mend	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
9	pots	pot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	pans	pan	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **travel** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is a** | present | a tinker | a travelling person |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **mend** | present | a travelling person | pots and pans |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* (old use).

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tinker:m1:2
# text = (old use).
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	use	use	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To tinker is to fiddle with something, trying to mend or adjust it, often without much skill.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tinker:m2:1
# text = To tinker is to fiddle with something, trying to mend or adjust it, often without much skill.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	tinker	tinker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	advcl	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	fiddle	fiddle	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	trying	try	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	mend	mend	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	xcomp	_	_
12	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	adjust	adjust	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	conj	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
16	often	often	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	_
17	without	without	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	much	much	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	amod	_	_
19	skill	skill	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | with something; fiddle *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **try** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | without much skill | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 3 | **mend** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **adjust** | infinitive |  | tinker |  |  |  |  | vn adjust-26.9 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Patient |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The tinker mended our kettle.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tinker:x1:1
# text = The tinker mended our kettle.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	tinker	tinker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	mended	mend	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	kettle	kettle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mend** | past | the tinker | our kettle |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dad likes to tinker with old bikes.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tinker:x2:1
# text = Dad likes to tinker with old bikes.
1	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	likes	like	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	tinker	tinker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	bikes	bike	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **like** | present | Dad | tinker |  |  |  | with old bikes | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot tinker=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I spent an hour tinkering with the broken clock.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:tinker:x3:1
# text = I spent an hour tinkering with the broken clock.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	spent	spend	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	hour	hour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	tinkering	tinkering	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	broken	break	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	_
9	clock	clock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **spend** | past | I | a hour tinkering |  |  |  | with the broken clock | vn consume-66-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tinkering=Asset |
| 2 | **break** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Patient |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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