Plural of potter: people who make pottery and ceramic items by hand on a potter's wheel, or they move slowly without clear purpose.
From Old English 'pottere,' related to 'pot' (from Latin 'potus'). Originally meant those who made pots; verb form 'potter about' developed later meaning to work aimlessly.
The same word describes both a skilled artisan and someone wasting time—because potters literally had to putter around their workshops testing glazes and firing techniques.
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