putter

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

1. puttering or ineffective action; dawdling.

verb phrase

1. putter away,  to spend or fill in a random, inconsequential, or unproductive way; fritter away; waste.

   We puttered the morning away.

putter

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.

putter

³

[poot-er]

noun

1. a person or thing that puts.

2. Track.,  a shot-putter.

putter

¹

/ ˈpʌtə /

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

3. to waste (time)

noun

1. the act of puttering

putter

²

/ ˈpʌtə /

noun

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

2. a golfer who putts

putter

³

/ ˈpʊtə /

noun

1. a person who puts

   the putter of a question

2. a person who puts the shot

Other Word Forms

• putterer noun
• putteringly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of putter¹

First recorded in 1825–30; variant of potter ²

Origin of putter²

First recorded in 1740–50; putt + -er ¹

Origin of putter³

First recorded in 1570–90; put + -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of putter¹

C16 (in the sense: to poke repeatedly): from Old English potian to thrust; see _put

Example Sentences

They also proved he was among the worst with the putter.

From BBC

They also proved he was among the worst with a putter in hand.

From BBC

In the past two majors there have been foul-mouthed, club-throwing outbursts from several players - including the usually mild-mannered world number one Scheffler, who tossed his putter on the 15th green after a missed putt.

From BBC

"Easy solution is just limit the maximum length of the putter and be done with it," said one official.

From BBC

The control and measure we have come to associate with the world number one were rarely seen; but for a hot putter, it would have been even worse.

From BBC

Related Words

• loiter