Potter

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: pot=ter

CIDE DICTIONARY

Potter, n. [Cf. F. potier.].

•  One whose occupation is to make earthen vessels.  Ps. ii. 9.  [1913 Webster]

  "The potter heard, and stopped his wheel."  [1913 Webster]
•  One who hawks crockery or earthenware.  De Quincey.  [1913 Webster]
•  One who pots meats or other eatables.  [1913 Webster]
•  The red-bellied terrapin. See Terrapin.  [1913 Webster]

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 (Zoöl.), a small solitary wasp (Eumenes fraternal) which constructs a globular nest of mud and sand in which it deposits insect larvæ, such as cankerworms, as food for its young.

Potter, v. i. [Cf. W. pwtio to poke, or OD. poteren to search one thoroughly, Sw. påta, peta, to pick, E. pother, put.].

•  To busy one's self with trifles; to labor with little purpose, energy, of effect; to trifle; to pother.  [1913 Webster]

  "Pottering about the Mile End cottages."  [1913 Webster]
•  To walk lazily or idly; to saunter.  [1913 Webster]

Potter, v. t. 

 To poke; to push; also, to disturb; to confuse; to bother.  Halliwell.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Potter, 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.).

Derivative

potterer n.

Potter, n. a maker of ceramic vessels.

Idiom

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))

THESAURUS

Potter

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

ROGET THESAURUS

Potter

Inactivity

VB be inactive, do nothing, move slowly, let the grass grow under one's feet, take one's time, dawdle, drawl, droil, lag, hang back, slouch, loll, lollop, lounge, poke, loaf, loiter, go to sleep over, sleep at one's post, ne battre que d'une aile, take it easy, take things as they come, lead an easy life, vegetate, swim with the stream, eat the bread of idleness, loll in the lap of luxury, loll in the lap of indolence, waste time, consume time, kill time, lose time, burn daylight, waste the precious hours, idle away time, trifle away time, fritter away time, fool away time, spend time in, take time in, peddle, piddle, potter, pudder, dabble, faddle fribble, fiddle-faddle, dally, dilly-dally, sleep, slumber, be asleep, hibernate, oversleep, sleep like a top, sleep like a log, sleep like a dormouse, sleep soundly, heavily, doze, drowze, snooze, nap, take a nap, dream, snore one's best, settle to sleep, go to sleep, go off to sleep, doze off, drop off, fall asleep, drop asleep, close the eyes, seal up the eyes, seal up eyelids, weigh down the eyelids, get sleep, nod, yawn, go to bed, turn, get some z's, stack z's, languish, expend itself, flag, hang fire, relax, render idle, sluggardize, mitigate.