Dictionary.com
definitions

tamper

1
[tam-per]
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tamper ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to meddle, especially for the purpose of altering, damaging, or misusing (usually followed by with): Someone has been tampering with the lock.
to make changes in something, especially in order to falsify (usually followed by with): to tamper with official records.
to engage secretly or improperly in something.
to engage in underhand or corrupt dealings, especially in order to influence improperly (usually followed by with): Any lawyer who tries to tamper with a jury should be disbarred.

RELATED CONTENT

blockchainRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
External Referral ProgramDICTIONARY.COM, LLC EXTERNAL REFERRAL AWARD PROGRAM Effective Date: October 20, 2017 Please read carefully. By submitting a candidate for referral, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions (Terms and Conditions”). OVERVIEW The Dictionary.com, LLC External Referral Award Program (the “Program”) offers a one-time referral payment to unaffiliated persons to help Dictionary.com, LLC (“Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) attract, hire, and retain engineering talent. …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

tinker, meddle, fool, intrude, cut, doctor, vary, irrigate, interpose, plant, damage, water, interlope, change, spike, cook, destroy, diversify, manipulate, busybody

Nearby words

  1. tamoxifen,
  2. tamp,
  3. tampa,
  4. tampa bay,
  5. tampala,
  6. tamper with,
  7. tamper-resistant,
  8. tampere,
  9. tamperproof,
  10. tampico

Origin of tamper

1
1560–70; probably variant of temper (v.)
Related formstam·per·er, nounun·tam·pered, adjective

tamper

2
[tam-per]

noun

a person or thing that tamps.

Origin of tamper

2
tamp + -er1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tamper

British Dictionary definitions for tamper

tamper

1

verb (intr)

(usually foll by with) to interfere or meddle
to use corrupt practices such as bribery or blackmail
(usually foll by with) to attempt to influence or corrupt, esp by briberyto tamper with the jury
Derived Formstamperer, noun

Word Origin for tamper

C16: alteration of temper (verb)

noun

a person or thing that tamps, esp an instrument for packing down tobacco in a pipe
a casing around the core of a nuclear weapon to increase its efficiency by reflecting neutrons and delaying the expansion
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for tamper

tamper

v.

1560s, figurative use of tamper "to work in clay, etc., so as to mix it thoroughly," probably originally a variant of temper (v.), which is how it was initially spelled. Perhaps it is a dialectal workmen's pronunciation. Related: Tampered; tampering.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper