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

Polish: lichy (pl) m, nędzny (pl) m

Anagrams

Tipton

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