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• potter
  potter

  noun

  a person who makes pottery.
• Potter
  Potter

  noun

  Beatrix 1866–1943, English writer and illustrator of children's books.

potter

¹ American  

[pot-er] / ˈpɒt ər /

noun

potters plural

1. a person who makes pottery.

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potter ² American  

[pot-er] / ˈpɒt ər /

verb (used without object)

Chiefly British.

1. putter.

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Potter ³ American  

[pot-er] / ˈpɒt ər /

noun

1. Beatrix 1866–1943, English writer and illustrator of children's books.

2. Paul, 1625–54, Dutch painter.

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Potter ¹ British  

/ ˈpɒtə /

noun

1. ( Helen ) Beatrix. 1866–1943, British author and illustrator of children's animal stories, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)

2. Dennis ( Christopher George ). 1935–94, British dramatist. His TV plays include Pennies from Heaven (1978), The Singing Detective (1986), and Blackeyes (1989)

3. Paulus. 1625–54, Dutch painter, esp of animals

4. Stephen. 1900–70, British humorist and critic. Among his best-known works are Gamesmanship (1947) and One-Upmanship (1952), on the art of achieving superiority over others

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potter ² British  

/ ˈpɒtə /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by about or around) to busy oneself in a desultory though agreeable manner

2. (intr; often foll by along or about) to move with little energy or direction

   to potter about town

3. to waste (time)

   to potter the day away

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noun

1. the act of pottering

potter ³ British  

/ ˈpɒtə /

noun

1. a person who makes pottery

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• potterer
  noun
• potteringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• potters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of potter¹

before 1100; Middle English; late Old English pottere. See pot ¹, -er ¹

Origin of potter²

1520–30; frequentative of obsolete, dial. pote to push, poke, Middle English poten, Old English potian to push, thrust. See put, -er ⁶

Explanation

If you regularly make bowls and mugs out of clay, you can call yourself a potter. Potters shape soft clay either by pinching it with their fingers or turning it on a wheel while pulling and squeezing the moving clay. After shaping and sometimes glazing or decorating a piece of pottery, a potter bakes it at a high temperature in a special oven called a kiln. The verb potter, "occupy one's self in a pleasant, unhurried way," comes from a different root from the noun — so a potter doesn't necessarily potter around her studio.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

potter Potter potters

But that requires more time and energy than I’m willing to sacrifice while raising a young child and entertaining my dreams of becoming a star potter.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

Chamlee once picked up a charming ceramic sun at a yard sale for $30—only to learn via Google that the stamp on the back marked it as a rare piece by midcentury potter David Gil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2025

This L.A. glassblower breaks the rules with his stunning vessels An auto engineer became a full-time potter in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2024

"Some people are festival veterans, they know exactly who they want to see all weekend, some people want to potter around and do all the kids' stuff," said festival founder, Rob Da Bank.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2024

“You just chose natural things. How about paintings, or music. We say, ‘The potter makes a beautiful vase.’

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Analysts Alexander Potter and Ben Johnson point in particular to Rivian and Mobileye, whose vertically integrated models allow them to build next-generation models without relying on suppliers or supply chains that don’t exist yet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

I only sell fiction, but you have Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games,” you have Harry Potter in Hogwarts, you have Thomas in “The Maze Runner.”

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

Last month, the Queen met Harry Potter author JK Rowling to mark the start of Royal Week in Edinburgh.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Two century-old film studios — with rights to Harry Potter, Batman, “Top Gun,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Game of Thrones” — would be combined, and HBO and CNN would come under new ownership.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

And romantic stories: how Potter Palmer had been so in love with his wife, Bertha, that he had given her a luxurious hotel, the Palmer House, as a wedding present.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

The jugs are handmade and hand painted by potters at Bairstow Manor in Stoke-on-Trent.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026

Wherever Mr. Fox travels, and especially in Hackney, in London’s East End, he has noted the rapid proliferation of craft breweries, quilters, potters, basket-makers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025

We inherited many of Beverly’s treasures once the place became ours, including richly hued bowls, mugs and serving pieces made by regional potters as well as signed oils and watercolors, drawings and numbered prints.

From Salon ● Jan. 16, 2025

This doesn’t mean she thinks the corporate types should follow the musicians and painters and potters back to the city’s core.

From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2024

Because he worked so slowly, he made far fewer pieces than the other potters, and consequently had to sell each of them at a higher price.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

Related Words

• fidget
• fool
• interfere