powter

English

Noun

powter (plural powters)

1. Alternative form of pouter (a kind of pigeon)
   • 1790, Daniel Girton, New and Complete Pigeon Fancyer, page 53:

     There is a great deal of trouble, time, and expence, requisite for breeding and . rearing of young powters, for they require a vast deal of attendance, as every single bird, cocks as well as hens, must be parted during the winter season, and placed in a separate pen or coop, each of them must be supplied with meat and water, and care taken that the coop be lofty and spacious, that they may not get an ill habit of stooping, which is so great an imperfection, that it must be prevented by all possible means;

   • 1843, The Book of Sports, British and Foreign:

     I shall confine my remarks to the flyers, and say nothing about the toy birds, which include powters, nuns, tumblers, jacobins, and many other species, which by their respective fanciers are held in as high estimation as the best carriers.

   • 2013, A Guide to Keeping and Caring for the Domesticated Pigeon, →ISBN:

     Powters have deservedly a bad character as nurses, and it is usual to put the eggs of valuable birds under other Pigeons to hatch and rear;

Verb

powter (third-person singular simple present powters, present participle powtering, simple past and past participle powtered)

1. To poke in an exploratory manner.
   • 1814, Sir Walter Scott, Waverley; Or, 'Tis Sixty Years Since:

     I dare say, Mr Wauverley, ye never kend that a' the eggs that were sae weel roasted at supper in the Ha'-house were aye turned by our Davie; — there's no the like o' him ony gate for powtering wi' his fingers amang the het peat-ashes, and roasting eggs.

   • 1852, The Anglo-American Magazine - Volume 1, page 486:

     Having worked and powtered away for a minute or two, the operator suddenly dropped the outlandish instrument, and uplifting his two hands, like the minister when pronouncing the dismissal, he exclaimed, " My stars and garters, what a mighty development!

   • 1907, The Alpine Journal - Volume 23, page 585:

     So we got nowhere in particular ; but learnt a good deal, having ' powtered up and down a bit and had a rattling day.'

   • 1955, D'Arcy Niland, The Shiralee, page 54:

     He had seen pigs like Christy powtering in the slops, all grunt and hair.