I. put ‧ ter 1 /ˈpʌtə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Origin: putt ]
a type of ↑ golf club (=stick) , used to hit the ball a short distance towards or into the hole
II. putter 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: potter 'to putter' (16-21 centuries) , from pote 'to push' (11-19 centuries) , from Old English potian ]
1 . American English ( also putter around ) to spend time doing things that are not very important in a relaxed way SYN potter British English :
I puttered around for a while, cleaning up the kitchen.
2 . American English to walk or move slowly and without hurrying:
A little boy puttered along the sidewalk.
3 . British English informal to make the low sound that a vehicle makes when it is moving slowly:
A motor boat puttered by.