diaper

American  

[dahy-per, dahy-uh-per] / ˈdaɪ pər, ˈdaɪ ə pər /

noun

1. a piece of cloth or other absorbent material folded and worn as underpants by a baby not yet toilet-trained.

2. Also called diaper cloth.  a linen or cotton fabric with a woven pattern of small, constantly repeated figures, as diamonds.

3. Also called diaper pattern.  such a pattern, originally used in the Middle Ages in weaving silk and gold.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put a diaper on.

2. to ornament with a diaperlike pattern.

diaper British  

/ ˈdaɪəpə /

noun

1. 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

2. 1. a woven pattern on fabric consisting of a small repeating design, esp diamonds

   2. fabric having such a pattern

   3. such a pattern, used as decoration

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verb

1. (tr) to decorate with such a pattern

Other Word Forms

• undiapered adjective

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

Example Sentences

“It sounds like something out of a diaper commercial.”

From Literature

“Sterling Sol was the most beautiful girl in the world…we got to hold her, change her diaper, read to her, and love her… Our time together was far too short.”

From Los Angeles Times

But “The L Word” aired when I was still in diapers and ended when I was eight.

From Salon

Internal documents from Google appeared to show incentives to shift children not yet out of diapers from the gated YouTube Kids app to the all-ages platform.

From Los Angeles Times

Sitting next to the sink was a small green monkey wearing a diaper.

From Literature

Related Words

• nappy