Doll is a child's toy made to look like a human being. Dolls vary in size from 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters) tall to life-sized or even larger. They may be made of almost any material, including cloth, plastic, porcelain, wax, and wood.
Boys and girls throughout the world enjoy playing with dolls. But dolls also appeal to many adults because of the toys' artistry and historical representation. Many grown-ups collect antique and costume dolls as a hobby and learn about the people of other times and places through these dolls.
Dolls fulfill many needs of children. They serve as playmates and objects for children's affection. Dolls can also provide an outlet for a child's hurt feelings, anger, and other emotions. For example, youngsters upset by a scolding might scold their dolls in turn. How children play with dolls may thus reveal their inner needs, fears, and desires. For this reason, psychologists use dolls to help them identify and treat many problems of children. Playing with dolls enables children to rehearse the roles they hope to perform after they grow up, such as a parent or a doctor.
Doll-like figures have existed since ancient times. But dolls used mainly as toys for children probably were uncommon in most societies before the 1700's. Most doll-like figures from earlier periods were magical or religious objects, not toys. They were more like pieces of sculpture than toys. Ancient people made human figures as idols or fetishes (objects with magic power). Later, Christians made doll-like statues of saints and of figures for Christmas displays, called creches. The figures in creches showed the scene at Jesus' birth.
The toy dolls that existed before the 1700's served chiefly as playthings for adults as well as for children. At that time, adults and children were more alike in their attitudes and interests than they are today, and childhood as we know it did not really exist. Youngsters were regarded as little adults and were expected to act like them. They shared the work of supporting the family with their parents. People of nearly all ages enjoyed the same simple toys, including dolls and jack-in-the-boxes. Most of the dolls were shaped and dressed like adults.
Adults first came to regard childhood as a special time during the 1700's and especially the 1800's. The first dolls specifically for children probably were made in the 1700's. The dolls themselves looked the same but could be dressed as babies, children, women, or men. In the West, the first doll to be designed as a baby appeared at the London Exhibition of 1851 and came from Japan.
The word doll came into general use about 1750. It may have come from the Greek word eidolon, meaning idol, or from Dolly, a nickname for Dorothy. Previously, English-speaking people called dolls puppets or babies, even though most dolls represented adults.
