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v. tam·pered, tam·per·ing, tam·pers v.intr. 1. a. To interfere in a harmful or disruptive manner; meddle: was worried the editor would tamper with her text. b. To make alterations or adjustments, especially secretly so as to subvert an intended purpose or function: tamper with a lock; discovered that the brakes had been tampered with. c. To engage in improper or secret actions, as in an effort to influence an outcome: tamper with evidence; tamper with a jury. 2. To tinker rashly or foolishly: "The ability of chemists to create new drugs from natural compounds raises an old argument about whether human beings should tamper with nature" (Andrew Weil). v.tr. To alter improperly. [Probably alteration of TEMPER.] tamper·er n. |
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