Pappoose

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of small child carrier traditionally used by Indigenous peoples to carry infants; a term for a young baby or toddler often secured closely for safety and warmth; a compact, portable cradle or sling designed to keep infants comfortably attached to a caregiver
2. A traditional infant carrier usually made from woven materials used to hold babies close to the body; an affectionate reference to a young child; a simple and secure wrap or carrier for toddlers that caregivers wear while moving about
3. A sling-like device commonly used by Native American cultures to transport babies; a name for a very young child carried in such a device; a close-fitting, portable infant holder that allows hands-free carrying by adults

Etymology: "Pappoose" is an alternative spelling of "papoose," and the word comes from Narragansett, the Algonquian language of the people of southern New England. There, "papoos" meant simply "a child." English speakers encountered it in the colonial period, when the term was adopted to describe Native American infants and the carrying devices used to hold them. Over time, the sense widened beyond its original context. Today the word can mean the traditional cradleboard used by many Indigenous peoples, or more generally any compact, portable sling or carrier that keeps a baby close to a parent or caregiver. The meaning shifted from a word for a child in one language to a word for the object that carries children.

Synonyms: baby carrier, infant carrier, papoose