teddy bear

American  

noun

1. a toy bear, especially a stuffed one.

---

teddy bear British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: teddy.  a stuffed toy bear made from soft or fluffy material

---

Etymology

Origin of teddy bear

1905–10, after Theodore Roosevelt, called Teddy, who is said to have saved the life of a bear cub while hunting

Example Sentences

He recently added a touch: a giant teddy bear he bought at Costco.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

Meanwhile, Camilla will mark the 100th birthday of fictional teddy bear Winnie the Pooh at the New York Public Library, where she is expected to gift a specially made toy of the character Roo.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

The men first met only after Milne bought a teddy bear at Harrods for his infant son’s first birthday in 1921 and, during a rainy holiday, wrote a few poems for children.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

She looks like a teddy bear that’s come to life.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

She's somewhere behind the two paramedics, the police officer, three of the good Samaritans who stopped to help, and the little boy who left his teddy bear on the subway.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi