n. [ Prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. daid, Gael. daidein, W. tad, OL. tata, Gr. ta`ta, te`tta, Skr. tāta. ] Father; -- a word sometimes used by children. [ 1913 Webster ]

I was never so bethumped with words,
Since I first called my brother's father dad. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Daddled p. pr. & vb. n. Daddling. ] [ Prob. freq. of dade. ] To toddle; to walk unsteadily, like a child or an old man; hence, to do anything slowly or feebly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Prov. E. dad a large piece. ] The rotten body of a tree. [ Prov. Eng. ] Wright. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Diminutive of Dad. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Zool.) An arachnidan of the genus Phalangium, and allied genera, having a small body and four pairs of long legs; -- called also harvestman, carter, and grandfather longlegs. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A name applied to many species of dipterous insects of the genus Tipula, and allied genera, with slender bodies, and very long, slender legs; the crane fly; -- called also father longlegs. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Of. uncertain origin. Cf. Dandle, Daddle. ] To hold up by leading strings or by the hand, as a child while he toddles. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Little children when they learn to go
By painful mothers daded to and fro. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To walk unsteadily, as a child in leading strings, or just learning to walk; to move slowly. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

No sooner taught to dade, but from their mother trip. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Dadoes [ It. dado die, cube, pedestal; of the same origin as E. die, n. See Die, n. ] (Arch.) (a) That part of a pedestal included between the base and the cornice (or surbase); the die. See Illust. of Column. Hence: (b) In any wall, that part of the basement included between the base and the base course. See Base course, under Base. (c) In interior decoration, the lower part of the wall of an apartment when adorned with moldings, or otherwise specially decorated.