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putter

 - 6 dictionary results

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.
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; var. of potter 2


put⋅ter⋅er, noun
put⋅ter⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

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 + -er 1

put⋅ter

3[poot-er]
–noun
1. a person or thing that puts.
2. Track. a shot-putter.

Origin:
1810–20; put + -er 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To putter
putt·er 1   (pŭt'ər)   
n.  
  1. A short golf club used for putting.

  2. A golfer who is putting.

put·ter 2   (pŭt'ər)   
v.   put·tered, put·ter·ing, put·ters

v.   intr.
To occupy oneself in an aimless or ineffective manner.
v.   tr.
To waste (time) in idling: puttered away the hours in the garden.

[Probably alteration of potter, probably frequentative of Middle English poten, to poke, push, from Old English potian.]
put'ter·er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

putter 
"keep busy in a rather useless way," 1877 alteration of potter (q.v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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