moppet

American  

[mop-it] / ˈmɒp ɪt /

noun

1. a young child.

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moppet British  

/ ˈmɒpɪt /

noun

1. a less common word for poppet

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Etymology

Origin of moppet

1900–05; obsolete mop rag doll, baby ( see mop ¹) + -et

Explanation

An adorable child can be called a moppet. A sweet moppet sitting behind you on an airplane is completely different from a screaming, kicking kid occupying that seat. Though it's a bit old fashioned, you can use the informal word moppet when you're talking fondly about a child. You might watch a group of moppets learning to skate on an ice rink or enjoy a movie about some adorable moppets who scheme to get their lost dog back. Traditionally, this word usually referred to a girl, and earlier it meant "a doll," from the Middle English moppe, "little child or baby doll."

Example Sentences

At the end, a tiny moppet hugs Amos and thanks him for being hard on them, and he graciously accepts.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 14, 2023

The first half of the movie largely centers on the life that Raphaël makes with Juliette as she grows from a curly-head moppet into a bold young adult who’s at once dreamy and pragmatic.

From New York Times • Jun. 8, 2023

And, like that earlier film, this movie is less about the exploits of an adorable moppet and his worldly-wise older relative than the brother-sister relationship that hovers just around the edges.

From Washington Post • Nov. 22, 2021

This straw-stuffed moppet, with black eyes reminiscent of a shark's, can be seen at the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida — though why anyone would want to is a mystery.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2021

"They came together, by Heaven!" said Foster; "and Tressilian—to speak Heaven's truth—obtained a moment's interview with our pretty moppet, while I was talking apart with Lambourne."

From Kenilworth by Scott, Walter, Sir