pram

¹ American  

[pram] / præm /

noun

Chiefly British Informal.

1. perambulator.

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pram ² American  

[prahm] / prɑm /

noun

1. a flat-bottomed, snub-nosed boat used as a fishing vessel or tender for larger vessels.

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pram ¹ British  

/ præm /

noun

1. US and Canadian term: baby carriage.  a cot-like four-wheeled carriage for a baby

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pram ² British  

/ prɑːm /

noun

1. nautical a light tender with a flat bottom and a bow formed from the ends of the side and bottom planks meeting in a small raised transom

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Etymology

Origin of pram¹

First recorded in 1880–85; by shortening

Origin of pram²

First recorded in 1540–50 ( late 14th century in Anglo-Latin ); from Dutch praam, Middle Dutch prame, praem (compare Middle Low German pram(e), Old Frisian pram, German Prahm ), from Slavic; compare Czech prám, Polish prom, Russian paróm, Serbo-Croatian prȁm “ferryboat, raft,” cognate with Old High German farm “boat, raft,” Old Norse farmr “freight, cargo”; akin to fare, ferry

Explanation

A pram is a stroller or baby carriage, a device with wheels that can be easily pushed. Some fussy babies are soothed by a long stroll in a pram. The typical pram has four wheels and a handle. The baby or toddler can sit or lie down in the pram while being wheeled along the street. While pram is a British term — it's more likely to be called a stroller in the US — most parents, babysitters, and nannies will know what you mean if you use the word. Pram is short for perambulator, "one who walks or perambulates," which gained the meaning "baby carriage" in the 1850s.

Example Sentences

“It seems that asking for a meeting with Rubio is a step up in this strategy,” Ulrik Pram Gad, senior researcher with the Danish Institute for International Studies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

That Macron is coming is a strong message itself, reckons Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2025

The mural, which was created by artist collective Peaball, is located on a gable wall of the Pram Centre.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2024

There's a moody orchestration of strobes and smoke by Film Ficciones, with a live soundtrack by Pram.

From The Guardian • Mar. 19, 2011

Just in the middle of the day, after Pram had gone, came a letter enclosing �150—anonymous!

From Dry Fish and Wet Tales from a Norwegian Seaport by Nilsen, Anthon Bernhard Elias