toddler

/ˈtɑdlər/

/ˈtɒdlə/

Other forms: toddlers

Use the noun toddler to describe a small child who is just learning how to walk.

A toddler is older than a baby but not quite old enough for elementary school. It's the time in a child's life when she reaches all kinds of milestones: walking, talking, playing with other kids, and more. The word toddler was first used in 1793, and it developed out of the Scottish word toddle, or "to run or walk with short, unsteady steps."

Definitions of toddler

1. noun

   a young child
   synonyms: bambino, tot, yearling

   type of:

   child, fry, kid, minor, nestling, nipper, shaver, small fry, tiddler, tike, tyke, youngster

   a young person of either sex