put·ter

1 [puht-er]
verb (used without object)
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.
noun
4.
puttering or ineffective action; dawdling.
Verb phrases
5.
putter away, to spend or fill in a random, inconsequential, or unproductive way; fritter away; waste: We puttered the morning away.
Also, especially British, potter.

Origin:
1875–80; variant of potter2

Related forms
put·ter·er, noun
put·ter·ing·ly, adverb
00:10
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to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged

putt·er

2 [puht-er]
noun Golf.
1.
a person who putts.
2.
a club with a relatively short, stiff shaft and a wooden or iron head, used in putting.
Origin:
1735–45; putt + -er1

put·ter

3 [poot-er]
noun
1.
a person or thing that puts.
2.
Track. a shot-putter.
Origin:
1810–20; put + -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To putter
Collins
World English Dictionary
potter or putter2 (ˈpɒtə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—vb (usually foll by away)
1.  (intr; often foll by about or around) to busy oneself in a desultory though agreeable manner
2.  (intr; often foll by along or about) to move with little energy or direction: to potter about town
3.  to waste (time): to potter the day away
 
—n
4.  the act of pottering
 
[C16 (in the sense: to poke repeatedly): from Old English potian to thrust; see put]
 
putter or putter2
 
—vb
 
—n
 
[C16 (in the sense: to poke repeatedly): from Old English potian to thrust; see put]
 
'potterer or putter2
 
—n
 
'putterer or putter2
 
—n

putter1 (ˈpʌtə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a club for putting, usually having a solid metal head
2.  a golfer who putts

putter2 (ˈpʌtə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—vb (usually foll by away)
1.  (intr;often foll by about or around) to busy oneself in a desultory though agreeable manner
2.  (intr;often foll by along or about) to move with little energy or direction: to putter about town
3.  to waste (time)
 
—n
4.  the act of puttering
 
[C16 (in the sense: to poke repeatedly): from Old English potian to thrust; see put]

putter3 (ˈpʊtə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a person who puts: the putter of a question
2.  a person who puts the shot

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

putter
"keep busy in a rather useless way," 1877 alteration of potter (q.v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Our pro shop offers the latest technology in club fitting and putter fitting.
The putter should be square with the ball on impact, otherwise it will spin and
  veer off your line.
Some writers pitch a tent on the green and stay for a week and brood about
  friction and energy and the gender of their putter.
Some might even suggest the conventional reverse overlap grip on a
  standard-length putter.
Related Words
dabble dawdle fool
fool mess
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