putz
noun
- an idiot, fool
- penis
verb
- to behave in an aimless or idle manner; putter
- fiddle with
noun
- in Pennsylvanian Dutch homes, a representation of the Nativity scene traditionally placed under a Christmas tree
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /pʊts/
name
Etymology: Borrowed from German Putz or Pütz.
- A surname from German.
noun
Etymology: Borrowed from Pennsylvania German Putz; compare German Putz (“ornament, decoration, finery”), putzen (“to clean; decorate”). Compare the above.
- A decoration or ornament in the Nativity tradition, usually placed under a Christmas tree.
“The American custom of erecting a putz seems to have originated with the Moravians but the custom long ago spread to non-Moravian households. Essentially, the putz is a landscape, built on the floor or on a table or portable platform.”
verb
Etymology: Borrowed from Pennsylvania German Putz; compare German Putz (“ornament, decoration, finery”), putzen (“to clean; decorate”). Compare the above.
- To go around viewing the putzes in the neighborhood.
“Once all good Moravians in Bethlehem went putzing between Christmas and Twelfth Night to take a look at their friends' cribs.”
“Everyone in the Moravian settlements goes putzing, visiting others' works of art.”