Toddle
/ˈtɒd.əl/noun
To walk with short, unsteady steps, especially as a small child.
Did you know?Toddle is probably an expressive formation from child language, and its exact origin is uncertain—one of those words that feels almost magical because the sound itself imitates the action.
Etymological Timeline
Late 18th Century
English
toddle
“to walk with short, unsteady steps”
18th Century
English
tod
“a fox; also in dialect, a stump or bush; later associated with child or pet names”
Middle English
English
tod
“fox”
Old English
English
todd
“a bush, tuft, or clump; later dialectal and regional uses”