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 company said its second-quarter results were negatively affected by false allegations regarding the quality of certain diaper brands in the China market.
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
The state tapped a celebrity-filled Los Angeles nonprofit, Baby2Baby, to run the diaper giveaway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
I’m lying on my stomach with a diaper on, looking up with this toothless grin, probably already thinking what I’m going to do when I get my first football helmet.
From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli
“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
Babies can go through about 3,000 disposable diapers a year, a basic-need product that has increasingly drawn concern from child health, environmental and consumer advocates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Executives at other branded-goods companies in recent months have talked up their newest concepts: silk diapers, Doritos with protein, Pepsi with fiber, Capri Sun with electrolytes and “hydrating” hot chocolate.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
But after most of his shows, he returns to a tour bus packed with diapers, bottles and a stroller.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
By the afternoon of the following day, the aluminum tub was almost filled with soiled diapers.
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
The relationship is both greater and more primal, and it compares with the developmental strides that play out between mother and baby, and that help to turn a diapered mess into a normal, healthy person.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 10, 2020
When traveling with a diapered child, it is necessary to have plastic bags to tightly seal the dirty diaper when disposing of it in a public place.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2015
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
“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
The floor seemed to be of a rose-colored marble, with inlaid diapering of lapis lazuli, and the walls and ceiling were equally rich.
From A Columbus of Space by Garrett Putman Serviss
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