Dictionary.com

potter

1
[ pot-er ]
/ ˈpɒt ər /
Save This Word!

noun
a person who makes pottery.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of potter

1
before 1100; Middle English; late Old English pottere.See pot1, -er1

Other definitions for potter (2 of 3)

potter2
[ pot-er ]
/ ˈpɒt ər /

verb (used without object), noun Chiefly British.

Origin of potter

2
1520–30; frequentative of obsolete, dial. pote to push, poke, Middle English poten,Old English potian to push, thrust. See put, -er6

OTHER WORDS FROM potter

pot·ter·er, nounpot·ter·ing·ly, adverb

Other definitions for potter (3 of 3)

Potter
[ pot-er ]
/ ˈpɒt ər /

noun
Be·a·trix [bee-uh-triks], /ˈbi ə trɪks/, 1866–1943, English writer and illustrator of children's books.
Paul, 1625–54, Dutch painter.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use potter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for potter (1 of 3)

potter1
/ (ˈpɒtə) /

noun
a person who makes pottery

British Dictionary definitions for potter (2 of 3)

potter2

esp US and Canadian putter

/ (ˈpɒtə) /
British

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 directionto potter about town
(tr usually foll by away) to waste (time)to potter the day away
noun
the act of pottering

Derived forms of potter

potterer or esp US and Canadian putterer, noun

Word Origin for potter

C16 (in the sense: to poke repeatedly): from Old English potian to thrust; see put

British Dictionary definitions for potter (3 of 3)

Potter
/ (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)
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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK