Adjacent Words

Potter definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

POT'TER, n. [form pot.] One whose occupation is to make earthen vessels.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

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

Merriam Webster's

I. biographical name Beatrix 1866-1943 British writer & illustrator II. biographical name Paul or Paulus 1625-1654 Dutch painter

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Date: before 12th century one that makes pottery II. intransitive verb Etymology: probably frequentative of English dialect pote to poke Date: 1829 putter • potterer noun • potteringly adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. (US putter) 1 intr. a (often foll. by about, around) work or occupy oneself in a desultory but pleasant manner (likes pottering about in the garden). b (often foll. by at, in) dabble in a subject or occupation. 2 intr. go slowly, dawdle, loiter (pottered up to the pub). 3 tr. (foll. by away) fritter away (one's time etc.). Derivatives: potterer n. Etymology: frequent. of dial. pote push f. OE potian 2. n. a maker of ceramic vessels. Phrases and idioms: potter's field a burial place for paupers, strangers, etc. (after Matt.
27:7). potter's wheel a horizontal revolving disc to carry clay for making pots. Etymology: OE pottere (as POT(1))

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pother Poth"er, n. [Cf. D. peuteren to rummage, poke. Cf. Potter, Pudder.] Bustle; confusion; tumult; flutter; bother. [Written also potter, and pudder.] ``What a pother and stir!'' --Oldham. ``Coming on with a terrible pother.'' --Wordsworth.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Potter Pot"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pottered; p. pr. & vb. n. Pottering.] [Cf. W. pwtio to poke, or OD. poteren to search one thoroughly, Sw. p[*a]ta, peta, to pick, E. pother, put.] 1. To busy one's self with trifles; to labor with little purpose, energy, of effect; to trifle; to pother.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Potter Pot"ter, n. [Cf. F. potier.] 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. (Zo["o]l.) The red-bellied terrapin. See Terrapin. Potter's asthma (Med.), emphysema of the lungs; -- so called because very prevalent among potters. --Parkers. Potter's clay. See under Clay. Potter's field, a public burial place, especially in a city, for paupers, unknown persons, and criminals; -- so named from the field south of Jerusalem, mentioned in --Matt. xxvii. 7. Potter's ore. See Alquifou. Potter's wheel, a horizontal revolving disk on which the clay is molded into form with the hands or tools. ``My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel.'' --Shak. Potter wasp (Zo["o]l.), a small solitary wasp (Eumenes fraternal) which constructs a globular nest of mud and sand in which it deposits insect larv[ae], such as cankerworms, as food for its young.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Potter Pot"ter, v. t. To poke; to push; also, to disturb; to confuse; to bother. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Note: The yellow-bellied terrapin (Pseudemys acebra) of the Southern United States, the red-bellied terrapin (Pseudemys rugosa), native of the tributaries Chesapeake Bay (called also potter, slider, and redfender), and the diamond-back or salt-marsh terrapin (Malaclemmys palustris), are the most important American species. The diamond-back terrapin is native of nearly the whole of the Atlantic coast of the United States. Alligator terrapin, the snapping turtle. Mud terrapin, any one of numerous species of American tortoises of the genus Cinosternon. Painted terrapin, the painted turtle. See under Painted. Speckled terrapin, a small fresh-water American terrapin (Chelopus guttatus) having the carapace black with round yellow spots; -- called also spotted turtle.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(potters, pottering, pottered) A potter is someone who makes pottery. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. Trifle, pudder, busy one's self about trifles.

Moby Thesaurus

beguile the time, burn daylight, ceramicist, ceramist, consume time, coquet, dabble, dally, dally away, diddle, diddle away, doodle, dribble away, drivel away, enamelist, fiddle, fiddle with, fiddle-faddle, fidget with, finger with, flirt, fool, fool around, fool away, fool with, footle, fribble, fritter away, fritter away time, frivol, glass cutter, glassblower, glazer, horse around, idle, idle away, jerk off, kid around, kill time, loiter, lose time, meddle with, mess, mess around, monkey, monkey around, muddle away, pass the time, piddle, piss away, play, play around, play with, potter away, puddle, putter, pyroglazer, smatter, tinker, toy, toy with, trifle, trifle away, trifle with, twiddle, waste time, while away