diaper

UK: /ˈdaɪəpə^r/ US: /ˈdaɪpɚ, ˈdaɪəpɚ/ ,(dī′pər, dī′ə pər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

dia•per /ˈdaɪpɚ, ˈdaɪəpɚ/   n. [countable]

1. a piece of folded cloth or other absorbent material worn as underpants by a baby:
   throwaway paper diapers.

v. [~ + object]

2. to put a diaper on:
   diapered the baby.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

dia•per  (dī′pər, dī′ə pər), n. 

1. a piece of cloth or other absorbent material folded and worn as underpants by a baby not yet toilet-trained.
2. Textiles Also called dia′per cloth′. a linen or cotton fabric with a woven pattern of small, constantly repeated figures, as diamonds.
3. Textiles Also called dia′per pat′tern. such a pattern, originally used in the Middle Ages in weaving silk and gold.

v.t. 

4. to put a diaper on.
5. Textiles to ornament with a diaperlike pattern.

• Medieval Greek díaspros pure white, equivalent. to Greek di- di³ + Medieval Greek áspros white
• Medieval Latin diasprus made of diaper
• Anglo-French dia(s)p(r)e
• Middle English diapre 1300–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

diaper / ˈdaɪəpə/ noun

1. a piece of soft material, esp towelling or a disposable material, wrapped around a baby in order to absorb its excrement
   Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): nappy
2. a woven pattern on fabric consisting of a small repeating design, esp diamonds
3. such a pattern, used as decoration

verb

1. (transitive) to decorate with such a pattern

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French diaspre, from Medieval Latin diasprus made of diaper, from Medieval Greek diaspros pure white, from dia- + aspros white, shining