potter
noun
a person who makes pottery.
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potter
1 American
[pot-er]
/ ˈpɒt ər /
noun
-
potters
plural
potter
2
American
[pot-er]
/ ˈpɒt ər /
verb (used without object)
Chiefly British.
Potter
3
American
[pot-er]
/ ˈpɒt ər /
noun
-
Beatrix 1866–1943, English writer and illustrator of children's books.
-
Paul, 1625–54, Dutch painter.
Potter
1
British
/ ˈpɒtə /
noun
-
( Helen ) Beatrix. 1866–1943, British author and illustrator of children's animal stories, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)
-
Dennis ( Christopher George ). 1935–94, British dramatist. His TV plays include Pennies from Heaven (1978), The Singing Detective (1986), and Blackeyes (1989)
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Paulus. 1625–54, Dutch painter, esp of animals
-
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
potter
2
British
/ ˈpɒtə /
verb
-
(intr; often foll by about or around) to busy oneself in a desultory though agreeable manner
-
(intr; often foll by along or about) to move with little energy or direction
to potter about town
-
to waste (time)
to potter the day away
noun
potter
3
British
/ ˈpɒtə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing potter
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Example Sentences
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See Examples For:
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
The potter walked by his side, keeping up a constant stream of warnings and invective.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
Most of the episodes about Draco Malfoid and Harry Potter are A.I.-generated.
From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026
Harkening back to her time helping to run the midnight launches of the Harry Potter books, Jo decided to bring the same magic for fans of the much loved romantasy series.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
Eva Ibbotson’s tale of a boy, a train station and a magical realm was published three years before the first Harry Potter book.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
They’re caught here at full strength near the end of that run, after saxophonist Chris Potter had taken over for Steve Wilson, and drummer Nate Smith stepped in for Billy Kilson.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
And not the nice kind of ghosts from Harry Potter, either.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
If local potters had simply copied the decorative appearance, the underlying construction would instead reflect familiar Tampa Bay practices such as sand tempering.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
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
He spent the longest time at Kang’s stall, and the other potters gave up all pretense of indifference.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
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