putter

1
[ puht-er ]
See synonyms for putter on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. to move or go slowly or aimlessly; loiter.

noun
  1. puttering or ineffective action; dawdling.

Verb Phrases
  1. putter away, to spend or fill in a random, inconsequential, or unproductive way; fritter away; waste: We puttered the morning away.

Origin of putter

1
First recorded in 1825–30; variant of potter2
  • Also especially British, potter.

Other words from putter

  • put·ter·er, noun
  • put·ter·ing·ly, adverb

Other definitions for putter (2 of 3)

putter2
[ puht-er ]

nounGolf.
  1. a person who putts.

  2. a club with a relatively short, stiff shaft and a wooden or iron head, used in putting.

Origin of putter

2
First recorded in 1740–50; putt + -er1

Other definitions for putter (3 of 3)

putter3
[ poot-er ]

noun
  1. a person or thing that puts.

  2. Track. a shot-putter.

Origin of putter

3
First recorded in 1570–90; put + -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use putter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for putter (1 of 3)

putter1

/ (ˈpʌtə) /


noungolf
  1. a club for putting, usually having a solid metal head

  2. a golfer who putts

British Dictionary definitions for putter (2 of 3)

putter2

/ (ˈpʌtə) US and Canadian /


verb
  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

  1. (tr usually foll by away) to waste (time)

noun
  1. the act of puttering

Origin of putter

2
C16 (in the sense: to poke repeatedly): from Old English potian to thrust; see put
  • Equivalent term (in Britain and certain other countries): potter

British Dictionary definitions for putter (3 of 3)

putter3

/ (ˈpʊtə) /


noun
  1. a person who puts: the putter of a question

  2. a person who puts the shot

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012