toddler

The word “toddler” means a young child, typically between one and three years old, who has just learned to walk. In plain terms, a very young child who has recently started walking but is still a bit unsteady on their feet.

“Toddler” is pronounced TOD-luh (/ˈtɑdlɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “toddler” used in a sentence: “The toddler wobbled a few steps before sitting back down.”

Words with a similar meaning to “toddler” include ankle-biter, crumb crusher, crumb snatcher, leg biter, preschooler and rugrat.

“Toddler” is a noun.

“Toddler” is an uncommon word in modern English.

A baby generally refers to a child in the first year of life who cannot yet walk, while a toddler is a young child, typically between one and three years old, who has just learned to walk. The term toddler specifically highlights the wobbly, unsteady walking, or toddling, that characterizes this stage.

A toddler is typically between one and three years old and has just learned to walk, while a preschooler is generally an older child, roughly three to five years old, who is closer to starting school. The two stages overlap at the edges but describe different levels of physical and developmental maturity.

Toddler comes from the idea of toddling, the unsteady, short-stepped walking style of a young child who has recently learned to walk. This is why the term is reserved for children roughly one to three years old rather than infants who cannot yet walk or older children who walk steadily.