Definition

Noun: A small, nipple-shaped object, typically made of rubber or silicone, given to an infant to suck or bite on for comfort and to satisfy the sucking reflex. It is also known as a pacifier or soother.

Usage

The term "baby's dummy" is primarily used in British English. It refers specifically to the object itself. The word "dummy" in this compound noun does not carry its other common meaning (a model of a human or a stupid person); its meaning is fixed within this phrase. - It is used with possessive forms (e.g., the baby's dummy, her dummy). - Common verbs used with it include suck on, take, lose, drop, sterilize, and give.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The baby stopped crying as soon as she was given her dummy.
  • We need to sterilize the baby's dummy before using it again.
  • He's looking for his favourite dummy; he won't sleep without it.

Advanced Usage

• "To dummy" (verb, informal, UK): The act of giving a baby a dummy.
  • She dummied the baby to help him settle.

Variants and Related Words

• Pacifier (Noun): The common term in American English for a baby's dummy.
• Soother (Noun): A common term in Canadian and Irish English.
• Comforter (Noun): A term sometimes used in the UK, though it can also refer to a type of blanket.

Synonyms

• Teething ring: A related but distinct object designed for babies to chew on to relieve gum pain, often harder than a dummy.
• Binky (Noun, informal, US): A brand-name that has become a generic term for a pacifier in some regions.

Phrasal Verbs

(Not commonly applicable to this noun phrase)

Related Idioms

• "Spit the dummy" (idiom, informal, chiefly Australian/NZ): To react with sudden, childish anger or to have a tantrum. This idiom extends the concept from a baby rejecting its dummy.
  • He really spat the dummy when he didn't get his way.

Noun

1. device used for an infant to suck or bite on