mender

American  

[men-der] / ˈmɛn dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that mends.

2. a piece of sheet metal that has been imperfectly tinned but that may be retinned to an acceptable standard.

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Etymology

Origin of mender

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at mend, -er ¹

Example Sentences

"It's a dying trade," 61-year-old Maria Wade said of her job as a "greasy mender" at Alex Begg, a semi-rural mill that has been based in Ayr in southwest Scotland for more than a century.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

"We want change. We want a younger president," said shoe mender Jonathan Darare, 47, who came out early to vote in Kuwadzana.

From Reuters • Aug. 23, 2023

Regardless of who else joins what is expected to be a crowded field, Klobuchar will likely run as a fence mender, not a firebrand.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2019

If Spiegelman seems especially charitable toward women who may have more self-serving reasons to shade history, this generosity is typical of her, the appointed mender of the frayed matrilineal thread.

From Slate • Sep. 8, 2016

For instance: Mrs. Sample, the mender, had to sleep on her couch because her entire bedroom, almost up to the ceiling, was crammed with clothes to be mended.

From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

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