putty

1 of 2

noun

put·​ty ˈpə-tē 

plural putties

1

a

: a doughlike material typically made of whiting and linseed oil that is used especially to fasten glass in window frames and to fill crevices in woodwork

b

: any of various substances resembling putty in appearance, consistency, or use

2

: a light brownish-gray to light grayish-brown color

3

: one who is easily manipulated

is putty in her hands

puttyless adjective

puttylike adjective

putty

2 of 2

verb

puttied; puttying

transitive verb

: to use putty on or apply putty to

Examples of putty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Set a timer for silence, starting with a short time, like three-five minutes, and ask them to do something else, such as draw pictures, or something with their body like dance or squish putty. —Emily Edlynn, Parents, 1 Nov. 2024

This putty cleaner works by removing tiny debris from all the tiny nooks and crevices that were previously impossible to clear. —Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2024

Verb

Visitors are confronted with a head-on view of the ocean from the front door, and in the living room, low-slung furnishings and a pale palette of whites, putties, and muted blues make the turquoise view over the Atlantic Ocean the dazzling star of the show. —Mark David, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2024

But that is not the only reason Yulia Kapustienko comes to the fire department every morning to putty the walls. —Hanna Arhirova, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French potée potter's glaze, literally, potful, from Old French, from pot pot — more at pottage

First Known Use

Noun

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1719, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing putty

• putty in someone's hands
• putty knife

Kids Definition

putty

1 of 2 noun

put·​ty ˈpət-ē 

plural putties

: a soft cement (as for holding glass in a window frame)

putty

2 of 2 verb

puttied; puttying

: to cement or seal up with putty