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

Neighbours had recovered a kids' bicycle, damaged, and a purple teddy bear, which was covered with dust.

From BBC • May 13, 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

Graham deserves the Emmy for the last scene, where Eddie goes into his son’s room, tucks in his teddy bear and whispers, “I’m sorry, son. I should’ve done better.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 14, 2025

“Francisco Alvarez, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I promise that I’ll tell all your friends that you still sleep with a teddy bear by your pillow.”

From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez