toddle

English

Etymology

Of unknown origin. Possibly a byform of totter.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɒdəl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒdəl

Verb

toddle (third-person singular simple present toddles, present participle toddling, simple past and past participle toddled)

1. To walk unsteadily, as a small child does.
2. To walk or travel in a carefree manner.

   There he was, just toddling along.

   • 1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:

     So off we toddled, Marjorie, Holt, and I, in a growler, — spotted the crib in less than no time, — invited ourselves in by the kitchen window — house seemed empty.

Synonyms

• totter

Derived terms

• toddler
• toddle off

Translations

walk unsteadily

• Bulgarian: щапукам (štapukam)
• Catalan: tentinejar (ca)
• French: chanceler (fr)
• German: watscheln (de), patschen (de) (with bare feet)
• Ido: trotetar (io)
• Italian: trotterellare (it)
• Persian: تاتی کردن (tâti kardan)
• Russian: ковыля́ть (ru) (kovyljátʹ), идти́ шата́ясь (idtí šatájasʹ), идти́ неве́рной похо́дкой (idtí nevérnoj poxódkoj)
• Spanish: tambalearse (es)
• Tagalog: umampang, umampang-ampang
• Welsh: trotian (cy)

to walk in a carefree manner

• German: schlendern (de), flanieren (de) (exalted), trullern (regional, coll.)

Noun

toddle (plural toddles)

1. A carefree or aimless gait; a stroll.

Anagrams

• dolted