moppet

[mop-it]

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noun

a young child.

Origin of moppet

1900–05; obsolete mop rag doll, baby (see mop¹) + -et

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for moppet

child, toddler, tyke, kid

Examples from the Web for moppet

Historical Examples of moppet

Dora was already tired of him; so he was soon forgotten by all but Moppet.
Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag VI
Louisa M. Alcott
Nobody ever knew the best part of the story but Moppet, Davy, and Gulliver.
Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag VI
Louisa M. Alcott
But did you remember the airs of the moppet—Could any thing be more ridiculous?
The Heiress;
John Burgoyne
"Let us climb up the rockery, and sit on the garden wall," said Moppet.
The Tale of Tom Kitten
Beatrix Potter
While their mother was searching the house, Moppet and Mittens had got into mischief.
The Tale of Samuel Whiskers
Beatrix Potter

British Dictionary definitions for moppet

moppet

noun

a less common word for poppet (def. 1)

Word Origin for moppet

C17: from obsolete mop rag doll; of obscure origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for moppet

endearing term for a baby, a girl, etc., c.1600, from Middle English moppe "little child, baby doll" (mid-15c.) + -et, diminutive suffix. The Middle English word also meant "simpleton, fool," and may have been cognate with Low German mop "simpleton" [Barnhart]. Or, if "baby doll" is the original sense in Middle English, perhaps from Latin mappa "napkin, tablecloth," hence "rag doll."