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:
“You never see diaper ads in golf magazines,” the PSA-style ad reads on the back of the October and November issue of the publication, whose readership is more than 75% men.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
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
But some fussing was inevitable, and we had to make plenty of extra stops for diaper changes, bottles, or just to take a break from the carseat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
“I poop!” said Boots without apology, and tugged on her diaper.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
Kimberly-Clark rose after the maker of Huggies diapers, Kleenex tissue paper among other consumer products reiterated growth forecasts for the year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Cobb, who estimated that she picks up diapers and bottles filled with urine once or twice a week, said she’s not sure what the solution is.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
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
Flicking on the light, he saw they were diapers.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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
There was Lancelot, no longer in armour but dressed in a magnificent velvet robe, scalloped and diapered.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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
Moreno said the school did not provide diapering assistance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2023
“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
Alice is on the right, middle, diapering Isabetta.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2021
There are various methods of refilling the spaces cut out, one of the simplest is a diapering formed by some lace stitch, such as an open buttonhole.
From Embroidery and Tapestry Weaving by Grace Christie
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