clinker

1 of 2

noun (1)

clink·​er ˈkliŋ-kər 

plural clinkers

1

British : something first-rate

2

a

: a wrong note

b

: a serious mistake or error : boner

c

: an utter failure : flop

d

: something of poor quality

clinker

2 of 2

noun (2)

clin·​ker ˈkliŋ-kər 

plural clinkers

1

or clinker brick plural clinker bricks : a brick that has been burned in the kiln to the point of becoming darkened or deformed

… the shiny, burnt, misshapen bricks, known as clinkers, which are the unloved and usually unused outer layer of the firing process. When banged together, they make a clinking sound.

—Stephen Best

… "clinkers," bricks that were discarded because they became deformed or discolored after getting too close to the heat in the kiln.

—Katy Tomasulo

"Over-baked and distorted," he [an unidentified Melbourne, Australia brick recycler] explained. Even so, these days retrieved clinker bricks can sell for over $1 each!

—Jenny Brown

Its corner-wrapping porch is complemented by generous eaves and abundant use of clinker brick—dense, misshapen bricks created by exposure to high temperatures …

—Sarah Hilbert

… a clinker-brick two-story orphanage …

—Anthony Doerr

2

: stony matter fused together

The manufacturing of cement involves the mixing of limestone, silica, iron oxide, and alumina. This mixture is heated by coal to very high temperatures … , transforming the mixture into a pebble-like substance called clinker, which is then mixed with gypsum and ground to a fine powder to make cement.

—Paul Robbins

also : a piece of clinker

When I was a kid in Parma, one of the chores assigned to me and my brothers was the removing of the "clinkers" from the old coal furnace in the basement of our house, as well as the one in the church next door.

—Loren Yadon

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• mistake
• error
• blunder
• brick

Examples of clinker in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a documentary that had such clinkers as a reference to Iran as an Arab nation

all of the toy company's new offerings for the Christmas season proved to be clinkers

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Up until the 20th century, Nordic clinker boats were used for fishing, trade, and transport in coastal regions of Norway. —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2025

Fact to know: A low-walled terrace added across the front of the home used original clinker brick to integrate new and existing materials. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2025

Being able to swap a fraction of the carbon-intensive clinker for a cheaper waste product has been a boon both environmentally and economically. —Lara Williams, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024

Portland cement — the most common type, developed in the early 19th century — is made predominantly of a substance called clinker. —Lara Williams, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

clink entry 1

Noun (2)

alteration of earlier klincard a hard yellowish Dutch brick

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing clinker

• clinker brick
• clinker-built

Rhymes for clinker

• drinker
• linker
• pinker
• sinker
• thinker
• tinker
• freethinker

Kids Definition

clinker

noun

clin·​ker

ˈkliŋ-kər

: a mass of stony matter fused together (as in a furnace) : slag