klunker

Noun

klunker (plural klunkers)

1. (US) A beat-up, unreliable car.
   • But sometimes, in trying to keep the ticket down (when the Customer explains that he only wants the old klunker to run as far as the dealer’s lot so he can trade it in) we take a chance and only do a valve job when it really needs a ring job, too. [...] We think we’re doing about as careful and...1961 December 13, The Sterling Automotive Service, This will surprise you! Did you know that it is possible to try TOO hard to help people?, page 49
2. (US) A machine built purely out of necessity from salvaged, donated, or outdated parts.
3. (US, broadly) (computing) A Franken-PC; a Frankensteined system thrown together using mismatched or outdated leftover parts.
   • VB is a rich, extensible, event-driven programming environment in which user interaction is paramount. By contrast, this Excel dialect of VBA is a stringent, top-to-bottom klunker that is not even in VB’s league. Creating a decent interface in VBA, you’ll shortly see, can be described—charitably—as...1994 February, Ziff-Davis Publishing, “Working Toward Detente in the War Between Excel and Word for Windows”, in PC Computing Magazine Volume 7 Issue 2, page 252
4. (US) An old, slow, or decrepit computer; a clunker.
   • The Microsoft ME editor shipped with the MASM 5.0 also seems to be a klunker.1988, People's Computer Company, Dr. Dobb's Journal Vol 13, page 449
5. (US, slang, mountain biking) A heavy, balloon-tire bicycle (usually vintage cruisers) that is modified with motorcycle parts and used for extreme off-roading down mountains; these bikes are widely considered the very first mountain bikes.
6. Synonym of klinker or clinker.

   Synonyms:

   klinker, clinker