What does stroller mean?
In English, stroller usually names a lightweight wheeled carriage built for carrying a child in a seated position and pushed by an adult walking. It is the everyday North American term for what is also called a pushchair, pram, buggy, or baby carriage, although pushchair is more usual in British English. The word can also refer to a person who takes a leisurely walk, and the verb stroller means to stroll. The modern noun sense developed from the older word for a walker who strolls, reflecting the gradual adoption of wheeled child transport. In contemporary use, a stroller is typically equipped with a seat, safety harness, storage basket, and wheels suited to sidewalks and paved paths. The term is neutral and practical, though it may evoke everyday parenting and urban travel. A stroller is distinct from a wheeled chair designed for a person with limited mobility, which is generally called a rollator or walker. Its history makes it an example of how vocabulary shifts when a word for a person becomes a name for an object associated with that person.
A lightweight wheeled carriage designed to carry a seated child and pushed by an adult walking.
"We put the baby in the stroller and went for a walk."
This is the dominant modern meaning. It is especially common in North American English; “pushchair” is more usual in British English.
To stroll or walk leisurely.
"They strollered along the river after dinner."
This sense is rare and literary rather than part of everyday standard usage.
The plural refers to more than one stroller or to multiple people who stroll.
"The shop displays several strollers for children of different ages."
The word “stroller” once described a person taking a leisurely walk before it became the familiar name for a child’s wheeled carriage.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stroller come from?
The word stroller was formed from stroll plus the agent suffix -er. The verb stroll comes from German strol(l)en, meaning “to stroll” or “wander about.” Stroller originally referred to a person who took a leisurely walk; the sense for a wheeled child carriage developed later, in the late nineteenth century. The related forms strollering and strollered preserve the older verb sense.
Related word forms
How stroller is actually used
“Stroller” is the usual everyday term in North American English. In British English, “pushchair” is more common, although “stroller” is also understood; “pram” is a traditional British term. The verb “stroller” is uncommon and literary.
Easily confused with stroller
A stroller carries a child, whereas a roller is a rotating cylinder or wheel, such as those used in skateboards or printing presses.