The acquisition order of four Japanese verbs for the act of clothing was investigated. Each of the verbs investigated corresponds to the act of clothing different body parts. There are two theories for the prediction of acquisition order: the checklist and the prototype theories of word meaning. According to the checklist view, word meanings consist of sets of conditions for appropriate use, with a clear boundary between appropriate and inappropriate use. Under the prototype view, word meanings are characterized in a more complex way, with less clear boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate uses. Eighteen Japanese-speaking children aged 2-4 years were tested on production and comprehension tasks. The results showed that acquisition order conformed to predictions derived from the prototype view of word meaning. The predictions were based on the mapping complexity of ordinary referent situations. (RW)