Noah Webster
Pother
POTH'ER, noun [This word is vulgarly pronounced bother. Its origin and affinities are not ascertained.]
1. Bustle; confusion; tumult; flutter. [Low.]
2. A suffocating cloud.
POTH'ER, verb intransitive To make a blustering ineffectual effort; to make a stir.
POTH'ER, verb transitive To harass and perplex; to puzzle.