stroller

American  

[stroh-ler] / ˈstroʊ lər /

noun

1. a person who takes a leisurely walk; saunterer.

2. a wanderer; vagrant.

3. an itinerant performer.

4. a four-wheeled, often collapsible, chairlike carriage in which small children are pushed.

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stroller British  

/ ˈstrəʊlə /

noun

1. a usually collapsible chair-shaped carriage in which a small child may be wheeled Also called (in Britain and certain other countries) buggy 1 pushchair

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Etymology

Origin of stroller

First recorded in 1600–10; stroll + -er ¹

Explanation

A stroller is a small carriage with wheels meant for pushing a baby or toddler around. For a baby, there is no better ride than a stroller. There are two main meanings of the noun stroller: a person who strolls, and a parenting appliance that to many English speakers in the world is called a pram or a pushchair. A long-forgotten copywriter at Sears & Roebuck is probably responsible for the latter meaning; its first appearances are in the catalogs of that company. As for stroll, the underlying verb: it's a German import, though ultimately of uncertain origin.

Example Sentences

The elevator is working again to carry her stroller to the fourth floor.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

In a corner of their ramshackle tent in southern Gaza, Ghaidaa Qudaih and her family keep a baby stroller and three backpacks filled with clothes, diapers, milk and other necessities close at hand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2025

The newcomers — “We call them the stroller mafia,” she told me — pushed through new taxes aimed at curbing short-term rentals to tourists that limit the already-scarce housing available to residents.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2025

On June 24, one woman from South America showed up pushing a stroller and trailing a toddler in 100-degree heat.

From Slate • Jul. 17, 2025

Mrs. Krupnik pushed Sam in his stroller to the school.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry