teddy bear

American  

noun

1. a toy bear, especially a stuffed one.

---

teddy bear British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: teddy.  a stuffed toy bear made from soft or fluffy material

---

Etymology

Origin of teddy bear

1905–10, after Theodore Roosevelt, called Teddy, who is said to have saved the life of a bear cub while hunting

Example Sentences

The bear was auctioned by Hansons Auctioneers, whose Teddy bear consultant dubbed the antique Mr Cinnamon because of its colour.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2023

For the perpetually reinventing place that is Southern California, the Tournament of Roses parade, dating from January 1890, ranks as practically Mesozoic — older than the zipper, the Teddy bear, and the game of basketball.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2022

When an infant utters “te-te,” the parent happily offers the baby “Teddy,” so the sound “te-te” acquires the meaning of the Teddy bear.

From Scientific American • May 31, 2022

From the stuffed animal kingdom comes another common Valentine’s Day gift, a Teddy bear.

From New York Times • Feb. 4, 2022

I only remember Nancy’s Teddy bear staring at me.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote