Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

teddy bear

play
noun ted·dy bear \ˈte-dē-ˌ\

Definition of teddy bear

  1. :  a stuffed toy bear

See teddy bear defined for English-language learners

See teddy bear defined for kids

Explore M-W

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
dog-covering-face
Don't Let Reading This Be Another 'Coulda' 'Shoulda' 'Woulda'
time-traveler-quiz-which-word-came-first
Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?
image1458426927
Good Words for Strong Flavors

Origin and Etymology of teddy bear

Teddy, nickname of Theodore Roosevelt; from a cartoon depicting the president sparing the life of a bear cub while hunting

TEDDY BEAR Defined for English Language Learners

teddy bear

play
noun

Definition of teddy bear for English Language Learners

  • : a soft toy bear

TEDDY BEAR Defined for Kids

teddy bear

play
noun ted·dy bear \ˈte-dē-\

Definition of teddy bear for Students

  1. :  a stuffed toy bear

Learn More about teddy bear

  1. See words that rhyme with teddy bear Spanish Central: Translation of teddy bear Nglish: Translation of teddy bear for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about teddy bear

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up teddy bear? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

perfunctory

play

done merely as a duty

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. repugnant Trump clarifies his position on racism

  2. white nationalist, white supremacist Trending in 2017

  3. bereft "Lacking something needed, wanted, or expected"

  4. impanel "To choose people to serve on a jury"

  5. cosmopolitan "Worldly"

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

teddy bear

Test Your Vocabulary

Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

  • time-traveler-quiz-which-word-came-first
  • Which came first?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

dog-covering-face
Don't Let Reading This Be Another 'Coulda' 'Shoulda' 'Woulda'

PSA: They're three separate words.

image1458426927
Food Words for Strong Flavors

A tasting menu of vivid flavor descriptions

alt-5993066a3afad
What's the Plural of 'Maitre d''?

Use this word to confuse a French speaker.

alt-598dca6eb95f8
Running After the History of 'Lackey'

Are lackeys lacking something?

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

time-traveler-quiz-which-word-came-first
Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which word entered the English language first?

Take the quiz
name-more-food
Name More Food!

Test your knowledge of food vocabulary!

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game