putt-putt

putt-putt

also put-put  (pŭt′pŭt′)Informal

n.

1. A repeated or intermittent sound like that made by a small gasoline engine.

2. A small gasoline engine.

3. A vehicle, such as a boat, that is operated by a small gasoline engine.

intr.v. putt-put·ted, putt-put·ting, putt-putts or put-put·ted or put-put·ting or put-puts

1. To make a sound like that of a small gasoline engine.

2. To move while making such a sound.

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[Imitative of a running engine.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.