moppet

moppet
   A term of endearment used especially to a young girl. It derives from ‘mop’, which was a playful term used to a baby in the fifteenth century. It appears to have meant something like ‘you silly thing’ at that time. The diminutive form ‘moppet’ has been in use since the beginning of the seventeenth century. Mr Peggotty uses it to his beloved Little Em’ly in David Copperfield, along with other endearments such as ‘pretty’, ‘my pretty’, ‘my dear’.

A dictionary of epithets and terms of address . . 2015.

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  • Moppet — Mop pet, n. [From 3d {Mop}.] 1. A rag baby; a puppet made of cloth; hence, also, in fondness, a little girl, or a woman. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) A long haired pet dog. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • moppet — endearing term for a baby, a girl, etc., c.1600, from M.E. moppe little child, baby doll (mid 15c.) + et, dim. suffix. The Middle English word also meant simpleton, fool, and may have been cognate with Low Ger. mop simpleton [Barnhart]. Or, if… …   Etymology dictionary

  • moppet — [mäp′it] n. [dim. of ME moppe, rag doll < ?] Informal a little child: a term of affection …   English World dictionary

  • Moppet — little girl (from moppet = doll) …   Dictionary of Australian slang

  • moppet — Australian Slang little girl (from moppet = doll) …   English dialects glossary

  • moppet — noun Etymology: obsolete English mop fool, child Date: 1601 1. archaic baby, darling 2. child …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • moppet — /mop it/, n. a young child. [1900 05; obs. mop rag doll, baby (see MOP1) + ET] * * * …   Universalium

  • moppet — noun child …   Wiktionary

  • moppet — (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun A young person between birth and puberty: bud1, child, innocent, juvenile, tot1, youngster. Informal: kid. Scots: bairn. See KIN, YOUTH …   English dictionary for students

  • moppet — mop|pet [ˈmɔpıt US ˈma: ] n informal [Date: 1600 1700; Origin: mop stupid person, baby (14 16 centuries)] a small child …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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