tamper Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a tool for tamping (e.g., for tamping tobacco into a pipe bowl or a charge into a drill hole etc.)
    tamp; tamping bar.
  2. verb play around with or alter or falsify, usually secretively or dishonestly
    fiddle; monkey.
    • Someone tampered with the documents on my desk
    • The reporter fiddle with the facts
  3. verb intrude in other people's affairs or business; interfere unwantedly
    meddle.
    • Don't meddle in my affairs!

WordNet

Tamp"er noun
Definitions
  1. One who tamps; specifically, one who prepares for blasting, by filling the hole in which the charge is placed.
  2. An instrument used in tamping; a tamping iron.
Tam"per intransitive verb
Etymology
A corruption of temper.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Tampered ; present participle & verbal noun Tampering
Definitions
  1. To meddle; to be busy; to try little experiments; as, to tamper with a disease.
    'T is dangerous tampering with a muse. Roscommon.
  2. To meddle so as to alter, injure, or vitiate a thing.
  3. To deal unfairly; to practice secretly; to use bribery.
    Others tampered For Fleetwood, Desborough, and Lambert. Hudibras.

Webster 1913