thinker

Etymology

From Middle English thinkere, equivalent to think + -er. Compare West Frisian tinker (“thinker”), Dutch denker (“thinker”), German Denker (“thinker”), Danish tænker (“thinker”), Swedish tänkare (“thinker”).

noun

  1. One who spends time thinking, contemplating or meditating.
    The doer and the thinker No allowance for the other. 1972, “Thick As A Brick”, Ian Anderson (lyrics), performed by Jethro Tull
  2. An intellectual, such as a philosopher or theologian.
  3. (slang) The brain; the mind.
    "Well, I tried to do like you and grandfather say; don't use my thinker, use imagination." 2011, Arthur Kornhaber, Rosie's Miracle: A Novel, page 271
  4. (slang) A poser; a conundrum that requires some thinking.
    HANK: The NRA is a Washington D.C. based organization. Are you telling me you support Washington D.C.? DALE: That's a thinker. 1997, "How to Fire a Rifle Without Really Trying" (King of the Hill TV series, season 2 episode 1)

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