diapers

1. a piece of towelling or other absorbent material wrapped round a baby's bottom and between its legs to absorb and retain urine and faeces; a nappy.
2. a linen or cotton fabric woven in a repeating pattern of small diamonds.

1. put a nappy on (a baby).
2. decorate (a surface) with a repeating geometrical or floral pattern.

Middle English: from Old French diapre, from medieval Latin diasprum, from medieval Greek diaspros (adjective), from dia ‘across’ + aspros ‘white’. The term seems originally to have denoted a costly fabric, but after the 15th century it was used as in diaper (sense 2 of the noun); babies' nappies were originally made from pieces of this fabric, hence diaper (sense 1 of the noun) (late 16th century).