pram
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
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.
Vocabulary lists containing pram
Seedfolks
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My Life with the Chimpanzees
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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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.
"I haven't got a clue about none of it," said one young mother pushing a pram, before adding that she'd like to see more information.
From BBC • Jan. 1, 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
An 18-year-old woman who was pushing the pram was taken to hospital for treatment and later discharged.
From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025
An eight-month-old baby and two toddlers, aged 14 months and 18 months, are in a serious condition in hospital after their pram was hit by a trailer in Dumfries.
From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025
Alan Turing is pushing a pram through the woods.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
