tin-pot
See also: tinpot
English
WOTD – 13 March 2008
Alternative forms
- tinpot
- tin pot
Etymology
Originated in the 1700s, from the low esteem for a tinker's wares.This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtɪn.pɒt/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈtɪn.pɑːt/
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file)
Adjective
tin-pot (not comparable)
- (informal) Inferior; shoddy.
- 1902, Joseph Conrad, chapter I, in Heart of Darkness:
- It was a great comfort to turn from that chap to my influential friend, the battered, twisted, ruined, tin–pot steamboat.
-
- (informal) Of a country, regime etc., autocratic, especially amusingly so.
Derived terms
- tin-pot dictator
- tin-pot dictatorship
Related terms
- tin-foil
Translations
inferior, shoddy
|
Anagrams
- Tipton