pram

¹ American  

[pram] / præm /

noun

Chiefly British Informal.

1. perambulator.

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pram ² American  

[prahm] / prɑm /

noun

1. a flat-bottomed, snub-nosed boat used as a fishing vessel or tender for larger vessels.

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pram ¹ British  

/ præm /

noun

1. US and Canadian term: baby carriage.  a cot-like four-wheeled carriage for a baby

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pram ² British  

/ prɑːm /

noun

1. nautical a light tender with a flat bottom and a bow formed from the ends of the side and bottom planks meeting in a small raised transom

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Etymology

Origin of pram¹

First recorded in 1880–85; by shortening

Origin of pram²

First recorded in 1540–50 ( late 14th century in Anglo-Latin ); from Dutch praam, Middle Dutch prame, praem (compare Middle Low German pram(e), Old Frisian pram, German Prahm ), from Slavic; compare Czech prám, Polish prom, Russian paróm, Serbo-Croatian prȁm “ferryboat, raft,” cognate with Old High German farm “boat, raft,” Old Norse farmr “freight, cargo”; akin to fare, ferry

Explanation

A pram is a stroller or baby carriage, a device with wheels that can be easily pushed. Some fussy babies are soothed by a long stroll in a pram. The typical pram has four wheels and a handle. The baby or toddler can sit or lie down in the pram while being wheeled along the street. While pram is a British term — it's more likely to be called a stroller in the US — most parents, babysitters, and nannies will know what you mean if you use the word. Pram is short for perambulator, "one who walks or perambulates," which gained the meaning "baby carriage" in the 1850s.

Example Sentences

For anyone in Caroline's situation, simply seeing a parent with a pram can be painful, the source of a gnawing envy.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

Police believe the trailer became detached from a Mitsubishi Outlander on Pleasance Avenue at about 15:15 on Monday and struck the pram on the pavement.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025

"She used to carry my cello home from school on her back while pushing me in the pram," reminisces Absolutely.

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2025

"I carried my son on my shoulders, I pushed my daughter in the pram, there were a quarter of a million people arguing that we should make poverty history internationally," he said.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2025

She puts the old coats from the pram on the floor and Alphie lies there with his sugary water and says Goo goo and smiles.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt