おしめ

also: むつき

お

し

め

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun

diaper; nappy

usually written using kana alone

Modern standard word for a baby's diaper. The cross-reference おむつ is a more common synonym.

Kanji

襁diaper
褓diaper
御honorable, manipulate, govern
湿damp, wet, moist

Related words

おむつN2
おしめ is a more traditional or old-fashioned word for diaper, often used for cloth diapers, while おむつ is the modern, general term.

Written forms

おしめUsage51%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 襁褓 and 御湿 are rare.
むつきUsage31%
襁褓Usage14%
rarely-used kanji form
- おしめ
  Rare kanji form; also read むつき.
- むつき
  Rare kanji form with reading むつき.
オシメUsage4%
御お湿しめ
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The kanji 襁褓 is a Chinese compound for swaddling clothes, and 御湿 is an ateji-like spelling. The reading おしめ may be related to 湿 (shime, 'moisture'), but this is speculative.