sinker

American  

[sing-ker] / ˈsɪŋ kər /

noun

1. a person or thing that sinks.

2. a person employed in sinking, as one who sinks shafts.

3. a weight, as of lead, for sinking a fishing line or net below the surface of the water.

4. Slang. a doughnut or, sometimes, a biscuit or muffin.

5. Also called sinkerball.  Baseball. a fastball that curves downward sharply as it reaches the plate.

6. diesinker.

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sinker British  

/ ˈsɪŋkə /

noun

1. a weight attached to a fishing line, net, etc, to cause it to sink in water

2. a person who sinks shafts, etc

3. an informal word for doughnut

4. See hook

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sinker Idioms  

1. see hook, line, and sinker.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sinkerless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sinker

First recorded in 1520–30; 1870–75 in the sense “doughnut“; 1930–35 in the baseball sense; sink + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Roland Sinker, chief executive of CUH, said he was "deeply sorry for the harm" Amy had experienced and the impact "on her and her family".

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

The trust's chief executive Roland Sinker said: "We are very sorry that this has happened and we apologise unreservedly to our patients and their families."

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025

The website group alerted the trust to the breach and removed the information from their own website, said Mr Sinker.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2023

Roland Sinker, chief executive of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the breaches had "only recently come to light".

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2023

Sinker, one of the Concho riders, groaned and tore at the shirt over his stomach.

From Sundown Slim by Fischer, Anton Otto

Related Words

• bun
• pastry