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put·ter 2 (pŭtər)
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v. put·tered, put·ter·ing, put·ters
v.intr.
1. To occupy oneself with minor or unimportant tasks.
2. To walk or move in an unhurried or casual manner.
v.tr.
To spend (time) doing minor or unimportant activities: puttered away the hours in the garden.

[Probably alteration of potter, probably frequentative of Middle English poten, to poke, push, from Old English potian.]

putter·er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
put·ter 3 (pŭtər)
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v.intr. put·tered, put·ter·ing, put·ters
1. To make a repeated or intermittent sound like that of a small gasoline engine.
2. To move while making such a sound.

[From PUTT-PUTT.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.