clinker1

[kling-ker] /ˈklɪŋ kər/
noun
1.
a mass of incombustible matter fused together, as in the burning of coal.
2.
a hard Dutch brick, used especially for paving.
3.
a partially vitrified mass of brick.
4.
the scale of oxide formed on iron during forging.
5.
Geology. a mass of vitrified material ejected from a volcano.
verb (used without object)
6.
to form clinkers in burning.
Origin
1635-45; < Dutch klinker kind of brick, slag

clinker2

[kling-ker] /ˈklɪŋ kər/
noun
1.
a person or thing that clinks.
Origin
1680-90; clink1 + -er1

clinker3

[kling-ker] /ˈklɪŋ kər/
noun, Slang.
1.
a wrong note in a musical performance.
2.
any mistake or error.
3.
something that is a failure; a product of inferior quality.
4.
British. someone or something wonderful or exceedingly well-liked.
Origin
1830-40; special use of clinker2
Examples from the web for clinker
  • Stare long enough at a single sentence, and you'll catch a clinker.
  • He is still a poet, but now when he comes up with a clinker he can't roll up the paper and throw it away.
  • Berger has investigated the use of cement clinker aggregate in concrete.
  • The clinker is then ground into a fine powder and mixed with gypsum and other additives to produce cement.
British Dictionary definitions for clinker

clinker

/ˈklɪŋkə/
noun
1.
the ash and partially fused residues from a coal-fired furnace or fire
2.
Also called clinker brick. a hard brick used as a paving stone
3.
a partially vitrified brick or mass of brick
4.
(slang, mainly US) something of poor quality, such as a film
5.
(US & Canadian, slang) a mistake or fault, esp a wrong note in music
verb
6.
(intransitive) to form clinker during burning
Word Origin
C17: from Dutch klinker a type of brick, from obsolete klinckaerd, literally: something that clinks (referring to the sound produced when one was struck), from klinken to clink1
Word Origin and History for clinker
n.

"mass of slag," 1769, from klincard (1640s), a type of paving brick made in Holland, from Dutch klinkaerd, from klinken "to ring" (as it does when struck), of imitative origin. Also "a clinch-nail;" hence clinker-built (1769). The meaning "stupid mistake" is first recorded 1950 in American English; originally (1942) "a wrong note in music."

Slang definitions & phrases for clinker

clinker

noun
  1. A biscuit (1900+)
  2. the CLINK (1920s+)
  3. A squeak or unintended reed sound made on the clarinet, saxophone, or oboe (1930s+ Musicians)
  4. An obvious wrong or sour note: One of the louder sopranos hit an excruciating clinker (1930s+ Musicians)
  5. An error; boner (1934+)
  6. Anything inferior in workmanship, esp a play, movie, or other show; lemon, turkey (1940s+)
  7. An incompetent person; a failure; dud, loser: There have been some ultraconservative judges, but there has been an absence of real clinkers (1940s+)
  8. Something damaging, esp when unseen or unforeseen; a hidden flaw: There was a clinker in the works apart from his writing, a sort of catch (1960s+)

[fr clinker, ''unburnable cinder'']