diaper

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun garment consisting of a folded cloth drawn up between the legs and fastened at the waist; worn by infants to catch excrement
  2. noun a fabric (usually cotton or linen) with a distinctive woven pattern of small repeated figures

Etymology

From Middle English dyaper, diapre, dyapre, from Old French diapre, dyapre, a variant of dyaspre, diaspre (“ornamental silk cloth embellished with floral or decorative geometrical patterns”), from Medieval Latin diaspra, diasprum (“a type of rich, valuable silken cloth”), probably from Byzantine Greek δίασπρος (díaspros, “very white; pure white”, adjective), from δια- (dia-, “across”) + ἄσπρος (áspros, “white”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

nappy, napkin

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