putter
putter Lexical Profile
putter Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A golf club with a short shaft and a flat, low-lofted face, designed for making short, gentle strokes on the putting green to roll the ball into the hole.
"She switched to a heavier putter to improve her control on fast greens."
A golfer who is putting or who is noted for a particular degree of skill on the putting green.
"Even when his long drives were off target, he remained the most consistent putter on the tour."
A short, rapid, intermittent sound made by a small internal combustion engine running at low speed.
"The quiet morning at the lake was broken only by the steady putter of an outboard motor."
• verb
North American To occupy oneself in a leisurely, unhurried, or pleasant manner with small tasks or hobbies.
"He spent the entire Sunday afternoon puttering around in his garden shed."
To move or run slowly while making a series of short, soft, intermittent popping sounds (especially of a motorboat or small engine).
"The old fishing boat puttered slowly out of the harbor at dawn."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British English, the verb sense of occupying oneself in a leisurely manner is usually spelled and pronounced 'potter', whereas 'putter' is the standard form in North American English.
• Rhymes for putter
Word Origin & Etymology
The golf noun derives from the Scots verb 'putt' (to push or nudge), combined with the instrumental suffix '-er'. The verb meaning to dawdle or tinker is an American English alteration of British 'potter', itself a frequentative form of 'pote' (to poke or push).