potter

UK: /ˈpɒtə/ US: /ˈpɑtɚ/ ,(pot′ər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pot•ter¹ /ˈpɑtɚ/   n. [countable]

1. one who makes pottery.

pot•ter² /ˈpɑtɚ/  v. 

1. potter around, [no object] to putter;
   to perform unimportant tasks.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pot•ter¹  (pot′ər), n. 

1. a person who makes pottery.

• bef. 1100; Middle English; late Old English pottere. See pot¹, -er¹

pot•ter²  (pot′ər), v.i., n. [Chiefly Brit.]

1. British Terms putter¹.

• frequentative of obsolete, dialect, dialectal pote to push, poke, Middle English poten, Old English potian to push, thrust. See put, -er⁶ 1520–30

pot′ter•er, n. 
pot′ter•ing•ly, adv. 

Pot•ter  (pot′ər), n. 

Be•a•trix  (bē′ə triks), 1866–1943, English writer and illustrator of children's books.
1. Biographical Paul, 1625–54, Dutch painter.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

potter / ˈpɒtə/ noun

1. a person who makes pottery

potter / ˈpɒtə/, putter verb

1. (intr; often followed by about or around) to busy oneself in a desultory though agreeable manner
2. (intr; often followed by along or about) to move with little energy or direction: to potter about town
3. (transitive) usually followed by away: to waste (time): to potter the day away

noun

1. the act of pottering

Etymology: 16th Century (in the sense: to poke repeatedly): from Old English potian to thrust; see put

ˈpotterer, ˈputterer noun

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

put•ter¹ /ˈpʌtɚ/   v. [no object]

1. to busy or occupy oneself in a leisurely, casual, or ineffective manner:
   puttering around the house.

Also,[esp. Brit.,] pot•ter /ˈpɑtɚ/   put•ter•er, n. [countable]

putt•er² /ˈpʌtɚ/   n. [countable]

1. Sport a golf club used in putting.
2. Sport a person who putts a golf ball.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

Ai•ken  (ā′kən), n. 

1. Biographical Conrad (Potter), 1889–1973, U.S. poet.
2. Place Names a city in SW South Carolina. 14,978.
3. a male given name.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

put•ter¹  (put′ər), v.i. 

1. to busy or occupy oneself in a leisurely, casual, or ineffective manner:
   to putter in the garden.
2. to move or go in a specified manner with ineffective action or little energy or purpose:
   to putter about the house on a rainy day.
3. to move or go slowly or aimlessly;
   loiter.
4. putter away, to spend or fill in a random, inconsequential, or unproductive way;
   fritter away;
   waste:
   We puttered the morning away.

n. 

5. puttering or ineffective action;
   dawdling.

Also,[esp. Brit.,] potter. 

• variant of potter² 1875–80

put′ter•er, n. 
put′ter•ing•ly, adv. 

putt•er²  (put′ər), n. [Golf.]

1. Sport a person who putts.
2. Sport a club with a relatively short, stiff shaft and a wooden or iron head, used in putting.

• putt + -er¹ 1735–45

put•ter³  (pŏŏt′ər), n. 

1. a person or thing that puts.
2. Sport [Track.] a shot-putter.

• put + -er¹ 1810–20

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Potter / ˈpɒtə/ noun

1. (Helen) Beatrix. 1866–1943, British author and illustrator of children's animal stories, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)
2. Dennis (Christopher George). 1935–94, British dramatist. His TV plays include Pennies from Heaven (1978), The Singing Detective (1986), and Blackeyes (1989)
3. Paulus. 1625–54, Dutch painter, esp of animals
4. Stephen. 1900–70, British humorist and critic. Among his best-known works are Gamesmanship (1947) and One-Upmanship (1952), on the art of achieving superiority over others