To putter means to busy yourself with small, unhurried tasks without any particular goal or deadline. When someone putters in the garden, they might pull a few weeds here, water a plant there, and rearrange some pots, not because these things urgently need doing but because it's pleasant and relaxing. Someone might putter around the garage on a Saturday morning, organizing tools, sweeping a bit, and tinkering with projects.

Puttering has a gentle, aimless quality to it. You're doing things, but you're not rushing or working toward a specific finish line. A grandfather might putter in his workshop, moving from one small task to another as the mood strikes him. The word suggests taking your time and enjoying the process more than accomplishing anything major.

People also use putter to describe moving slowly or making little progress, like when a car putters along a country road or a project putters forward without much momentum.

As a noun, a putter is a type of golf club used when you're very close to the hole.