A child's toy made to resemble a human figure. Informally, an attractive person, especially a woman.
Originally a nickname for Dorothy, from Greek 'Dorothea' meaning 'gift of God'. By the 17th century, became a general term for a child's toy resembling a person.
The evolution from 'Dorothy' to 'doll' shows how personal names can become generic terms. Every doll carries a trace of that original Dorothy, transforming a divine gift into countless childhood companions.
Dolls marketed as feminine toys from 19th century onward; gendered toy marketing reinforced women's association with domesticity and childcare. Male dolls (action figures) coded differently.
Present dolls as toys for any child; avoid gendered marketing language ('for girls') that limits imagination.
["figure","toy","plaything"]
Women toy designers (Ruth Handler, Mattel) created iconic dolls; industry history shows women's innovation erased behind corporate male branding.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.