clinker

views updated May 29 2018

clink·er1 / ˈklingkər/ • n. the stony residue from burned coal or from a furnace. ∎  (also clinker brick) a brick with a vitrified surface.clink·er2 • n. inf. something that is unsatisfactory, of poor quality, or a failure. ∎  a wrong musical note.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

clinker

views updated May 18 2018

clinker 2 applied to boats of which the planks are overlapped and secured with clinched nails. XVI. f. klink, var. of CLINCH + -ER 1; prob. infl. by LG., Du. klinken rivet. Clincher-built has varied with clinker-built from XVIII.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

clinker

views updated Jun 11 2018

clinker 1 very hard kind of brick XVII; mass of slag or lava XVIII. Earlier klincard, clincart — early modDu. klinckaerd (now klinker), f. klinken CLINK 1; so called because the brick rings when struck.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

clinker

All Sources -
Updated Aug 08 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic

You Might Also Like