diaper

From Middle English dyaper, from Old French dyapre, diaspre, from Medieval Latin diaspra, diasprum from Byzantine Greek δίασπρος (díaspros, adjective), from δια- (dia-, “across”) + ἄσπρος (áspros, “white”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈdaɪ(ə)pə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈdaɪ(ə)pɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: di‧a‧per, dia‧per
• Rhymes: -aɪpə(ɹ), -aɪəpə(ɹ)

diaper (countable and uncountable, plural diapers)

1. (Canada, US, Philippines, India) An absorbent garment worn by a baby, by a young child not yet toilet trained, or by an adult who is often also incontinent; a nappy. [from 19th c.]
2. (now historical) A textile fabric having a repeating pattern, especially of diamonds, formed by alternating directions of thread. [from 14th c.]
   • 1890, Oscar Wilde, chapter XI, in The Picture of Dorian Gray:

     The orphreys were woven in a diaper of red and gold silk, and were starred with medallions of many saints and martyrs, among whom was St. Sebastian.

3. (obsolete) A towel or napkin made from such fabric. [17th–19th c.]
   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

     Let one attend him with a silver basin, […] / Another bear the ewer, the third a diaper.

4. (now rare) A menstrual pad. [from 19th c.]
6. (architecture, decorative arts) A repeating pattern in gilding or low relief, used as surface decoration for a flat surface and consisting of one or more simple figures or units of design evenly spaced. [from 19th c.]
7. (heraldry) A repeating geometrical or floral pattern, used to cover the surface of a shield and forming the ground for any charges. [from 17th c.]

   Near-synonym: fur

8. The repeating pattern, especially of small diamonds, used as the ground for a fabric or textile. [from 19th c.]
   • 1935, Olaf Stapledon, Odd John, Gollancz, published 2012, page 9:

     John's attack upon geometry began with an interest in his brother's box of bricks and in a diaper wallpaper.

• (absorbent garment): nappy (British, Australia); napkin (British, South African)

diaper (third-person singular simple present diapers, present participle diapering, simple past and past participle diapered)

1. To put diapers on someone.

   Diapering a baby is something you have to learn fast.

   • 2019, Michael Bent, Rosalie Bent, Understanding Adult Babies: Their Psychology and Lifestyles:

     I diaper myself or she helps Diaper me and sometimes I get to wet them, she knows I like that.

2. To draw flowers or figures, as upon cloth.
   • 1622, Henry Peacham (Jr.), The Compleat Gentleman:

     If you diaper upon folds, let your work be broken.

• Piedra, aperid, paired, pardie, piedra, repaid

diaper

1. alternative form of dyaper

diaper

1. alternative form of dyapren