diaper
Americannoun
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diapers
plural
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a piece of cloth or other absorbent material folded and worn as underpants by a baby not yet toilet-trained.
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Also called diaper cloth. a linen or cotton fabric with a woven pattern of small, constantly repeated figures, as diamonds.
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Also called diaper pattern. such a pattern, originally used in the Middle Ages in weaving silk and gold.
verb (used with object)
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diapers,
present (3rd person singular)
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diapered,
past participle, past
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diapering
present participle
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to put a diaper on.
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to ornament with a diaperlike pattern.
noun
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Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): nappy. a piece of soft material, esp towelling or a disposable material, wrapped around a baby in order to absorb its excrement
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a woven pattern on fabric consisting of a small repeating design, esp diamonds
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fabric having such a pattern
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such a pattern, used as decoration
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verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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diapersimple
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diaperssimple
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have diaperedperfect
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has diaperedperfect
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am diaperingprogressive
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are diaperingprogressive
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is diaperingprogressive
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have been diaperingperfect progressive
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has been diaperingperfect progressive
Past
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diaperedsimple
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had diaperedperfect
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was diaperingprogressive
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were diaperingprogressive
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had been diaperingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of diaper
1300–50; Middle English diapre < Anglo-French dia(s)p(r)e < Medieval Latin diasprus made of diaper < Medieval Greek díaspros pure white, equivalent to Greek di- di- 3 ( def. ) + Medieval Greek áspros white
Explanation
A diaper is what babies wear before they’re potty trained. It’s a white cloth or other disposable fabric that’s folded up between the baby’s legs to catch the poop and whatnot. Awwww, isn’t that cute? In many countries, a diaper is also called a "nappy.” A baby can wear a diaper, but you can also diaper a baby, which means to put a diaper on. The word diaper comes from an Old French root, diaspre meaning "ornamental cloth." Over time it also came to mean a "towel or napkin" and by the 1830s, it had the modern sense of a cloth used to swaddle a baby's bottom.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The new law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last month, requires diaper manufacturers to disclose ingredients both on packaging and online.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
The owner of a nearby indoor playground says families who have to lug strollers and diaper bags alongside small tots typically won’t opt for the bus over a car.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
It added the impact of the claims have significantly affected its diaper sales and is expected to further impact sales and profit in the near term.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The loop of nursing and diaper changes and sleeping and bolting awake to do it all again.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
“I poop!” said Boots without apology, and tugged on her diaper.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
In the corner of the room there were household items, food and water and diapers and paper towels.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
Baby care brand Coterie is trying to make a point about parents’ cognitive load by going where diapers typically don’t: Golf Digest magazine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The approved deal will combine the makers of Huggies diapers and Johnson’s baby care products into a global health conglomerate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
“It’s really important to many parents to understand what exactly is in the diapers, especially if their babies have sensitive skin or special needs,” Hardy said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
I poured the water in the diaper tub and rinsed the diapers with my right hand while I held my nose with my left.
From "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child" by Francisco Jiménez
At the center of the diapered frenzy, bouncing around on stage alongside a giant stack of inflatable rings, was Lenny Pearce.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The diapered babies racing down the baseline to mom or dad?
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2025
Our parental nerves were fraying from the hourlong journey from Nagoya and the general struggle of moving tiny, diapered humans around an unfamiliar place.
From New York Times ● Jul. 19, 2023
Even our diapered kids went when it was potty time.
From Slate ● Jun. 10, 2021
In die rare times he diapered me or gave me a bath, Milton studiously averted his eyes.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
The other was a close friend, Stefanie Robinson, a paraprofessional who worked with students with severe disabilities, including those requiring help with feeding and diapering.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2024
In contrast, most preschools still provide naps, diapering and other toileting assistance to the same age group.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2024
My diapering experience was limited to Cabbage Patch Kids.
From New York Times ● Sep. 20, 2022
“It’s going to be useful to the diapering world,” says Conz Preti, parenting and health editor at the online news site Insider.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2021
Also that instead of the invariable lozenging or diapering of the background he occasionally makes a background of plain burnished gold.
From Illuminated Manuscripts by John William Bradley
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