Tamper with or temper with

[tymadele]

I wrote to a colleague recently, and in a statement I said "....tamper caution with prudence". He replied back saying the correct usage should have been "temper" instead of "tamper".

Please clarify the correct usage.

 

[jamiep]

"Temper" has a similar meaning to moderate in this context.

Google define:temper

[SIZE=-1]make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate; "she tempered her criticism"
[/SIZE]

Tamper means "to interfere with"

 

[rewboss]

If you were to stretch a point, I suppose you could tamper cautiously with Prudence. But Prudence would probably object. ;-)