potter Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a craftsman who shapes pottery on a potter's wheel and bakes them it a kiln
    ceramist; thrower; ceramicist.
  2. verb do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly
    monkey around; mess around; monkey; putter; tinker; muck around; muck about.
    • The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house
  3. verb work lightly
    putter.
    • The old lady is pottering around in the garden
  4. verb move around aimlessly
    putter; putter around; potter around.

WordNet


Pot"ter noun
Etymology
Cf. F. potier.
Definitions
  1. One whose occupation is to make earthen vessels. Ps. ii. 9.
    The potter heard, and stopped his wheel. Longfellow.
  2. One who hawks crockery or earthenware. Prov. Eng. De Quincey.
  3. One who pots meats or other eatables.
  4. (Zoöl.) The red-bellied terrapin. See Terrapin.
Pot"ter intransitive verb
Etymology
Cf. W. pwtio to poke, or OD. poteren to search one thoroughly, Sw. påta, peta, to pick, E. pother, put.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Pottered ; present participle & verbal noun Pottering
Definitions
  1. To busy one's self with trifles; to labor with little purpose, energy, of effect; to trifle; to pother.
    Pottering about the Mile End cottages. Mrs. Humphry Ward.
  2. To walk lazily or idly; to saunter.
Pot"ter transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To poke; to push; also, to disturb; to confuse; to bother. Prov. Eng. Halliwell.

Webster 1913