clinker
1 of 2noun (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 2noun (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
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
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
Jenny BrownIts 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
Sarah Hilbert… a clinker-brick two-story orphanage … Anthony Doerr
Anthony Doerr2
: 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
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
Loren Yadon 
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- blunder
- bobble
- boo-boo
- boob [British]
- brick
- clanger [British]
- error
- fault
- flub
- fluff
- fumble
- gaff
- gaffe
- goof
- inaccuracy
- lapse
- miscue
- misstep
- mistake
- oversight
- screwup
- slip
- slipup
- stumble
- trip
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
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
noun
1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy a documentary that had such clinkers as a reference to Iran as an Arab nation Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- mistake
- error
- brick
- blunder
- trip
- stumble
- clanger
- gaff
- inaccuracy
- goof
- fumble
- miscue
- bobble
- fluff
- misstep
- slip
- boob
- gaffe
- slipup
- flub
- fault
- screwup
- lapse
- boo-boo
- oversight
- bloomer
- pratfall
- howler
- blooper
- boner
- misstatement
- misunderstanding
- misdescription
- miscalculation
- misinterpretation
- misreading
- misjudgment
- snafu
- misconstruction
- misapprehension
- misconception
- miscomprehension
- misimpression
- foul-up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- precision
- accuracy
- exactness
- preciseness
- strictness
- correctness
- perfection
- infallibility
- inerrancy
- exactitude
2
as in disaster
something that has failed all of the toy company's new offerings for the Christmas season proved to be clinkers Synonyms & Similar Words
- disaster
- failure
- bomb
- washout
- miss
- shipwreck
- lemon
- clunker
- disappointment
- bust
- flop
- dud
- catastrophe
- frost
- loser
- turkey
- dog
- fiasco
- mess
- fizzle
- debacle
- débâcle
- bummer
- near miss
- hash
- has-been
- botch
- shambles
- also-ran
- muddle
- nonevent
- nonstarter
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hit
- success
- smash
- blockbuster
- winner
- corker
- phenomenon
- crackerjack
- crackajack
- dandy
- jim-dandy