I. ˈpäd.ə(r), -ätə- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English pottere, from Old English, from pott pot + -ere -er
: one that makes pottery
for I remember stopping by the way to watch a potter thumping his wet clay — Edward FitzGerald
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: probably freq. of pote (I)
intransitive verb
1. dialect chiefly Britain : to poke or prod lightly and repeatedly
2. : putter
bad weather finds him pottering around, nailing new lobster pots, painting, repairing his gear — A.J.Cronin
pottered around with it for a while and then gave up — New Yorker
pottering about in a canoe on summer afternoons — Richard Aldington
the trolley pottered through that part of town in a desultory, neighborly way — New Yorker
pottering among the ruins of the old casino — Alan Moorehead
3. of a dog : to quest indecisively
transitive verb
1. dialect England : bother , irritate , annoy
2. : to waste by idling or trifling — often used with away
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: pot (II) + -er
: pothunter 1
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably from pot (I) + -er
: red-bellied terrapin