toddle
/ˈtɒd(ə)l
/verb [no object and with adverbial of direction]
1(Of a young child) move with short unsteady steps while learning to walk: William toddled curiously towards the TV crew...
- With her attention distracted the young boy toddled over the brightly coloured shelves placed at child height and covered in toys.
- When a little slobbery-faced child toddles up to you and says ‘Hi Daddy’ and gives you a kiss, you simply cannot turn your face away.
- A company which has spent £250,000 converting a pub into a nursery may be forced to close before the first child toddles through the door.
Synonyms
totter, teeter, wobble, falter, stagger, dodder, waddle, reel, lurch;
shuffle, shamble, drag one's feet, stumble, lumber
rare doddle
1.1 informal Walk or go somewhere in a casual or leisurely way: they would go for a drink and then toddle off home...
- I met Ghost in the pub beforehand and we had a couple of drinks before toddling off to the Zodiac.
- So I took a little stroll downtown at lunchtime - more precisely, I toddled down to the waterfront.
- We toddled along the prom then had a stroll on the blue flag sands.
Synonyms
amble, wander, meander, stroll, saunter, maunder
informal mosey, tootle
British informal mooch, bimble
North American informal putter
noun [in singular]
A young child’s unsteady walk: he watched as a visitor watches a child to whose first toddle he is being treated by a proud mother...
- Preschools, playgroups and nurseries can organise their own half-mile sponsored toddles, too and if they do, they get to keep 25 per cent of the money raised.
- In May they are planning a toddle for Bernardos and an ice cream Sunday party in aid of Irish Down Syndrome.
- The Jolly Tots Parent and Toddler Group are holding a sponsored toddle, crawl and pram-push today, October 14 in aid of their toy fund.
Origin
Late 16th century: of unknown origin.