Poppet
/ˈpɒp.ɪt/noun
A doll or small child; also an affectionate term for a person, especially a child.
Did you know?In English folk tradition, dolls and little figurines could be used in charms and protective rites, which helped keep words like poppet hovering between innocence and spellcraft.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peu-
“to swell, be little? (uncertain distant root behind related forms)”
Late Latin
Latin
pupa
“girl, doll”
Old French
Old French
poupet
“little doll; babyish term”
Middle English
English
popet
“small doll; pretty little person”
Modern English
English
poppet
“a doll or term of endearment”