'sinker' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'sinken,' where 'sink-' meant 'to descend or go down.'

'sinken' transformed into the modern English word 'sink,' and eventually became 'sinker' to denote an object that causes sinking.

Initially, it meant 'to cause to descend,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a weight used to sink something.'