crèche

noun

ˈkresh  ˈkrāsh 

1

: a representation of the Nativity (see nativity sense 1) scene

2

: day nursery

3

: a foundling hospital

4

: a group of young animals (such as penguins or bats) gathered in one place for care and protection usually by one or more adults

Did you know?

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a cratch. That may not sound like a familiar translation of Luke 2:7, but back in the 1300s, the substitution of cratch for manger probably wouldn't have raised any eyebrows. Back then spelling was imprecise, and several different words and spellings, including cratch, cracche, crache, and crecche, were used to describe a trough for holding feed for livestock or to identify the manger where Jesus was laid. By the late 18th century, crèche (which we borrowed from French and now sometimes spell without the accent mark) had displaced those older forms, and the word had lost its former "manger" meaning, coming to refer instead to a representation of the Nativity scene itself.

Synonyms

• day nursery
• nursery
• nursery school
• pre-K
• prekindergarten
• preschool

Examples of crèche in a Sentence

one of the first cities to establish crèches so that poor women with children could work outside of the home

Recent Examples on the Web

Under Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, the party has grown considerably, and the palace courtyard is already set with a large tree, lifesize creche and festive booths where local children will be treated to the party's traditions of ginger spiced cookies and a secret recipe of hot chocolate. —Peter Mikelbank, Peoplemag, 15 Dec. 2023

Meus sentimentos e preces para as famílias das vítimas e comunidade de Blumenau diante da monstruosidade ocorrida na creche Bom Pastor. —Marina Dias, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2023

Exotic costumes and artifacts and non-European peoples give 18th-century Neapolitan creche scenes, such as that at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, their enduring fascination. —Keith Christiansen, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022

These two are youngsters, left behind at a feeding creche. —Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2010

The plant has a creche and worship rooms with a capacity of processing up to 20 metric tonnes of shea a month. —Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2022

We were supposed to be the family that carried the Christ Child to the creche at Most Holy Redeemer that year. —Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Dec. 2021

The original putz villages were created by children and families who would gather sticks, leaves, and other natural elements to create a scene around the creche. —Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2021

Some Tata Motors factories provide creche facilities for women with kids. —Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 13 Sep. 2021

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French creche manger, crib, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German krippa manger — more at crib

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

crèche

noun

ˈkresh 

: a scene representing the Nativity in the stable at Bethlehem

Medical Definition

crèche

noun

ˈkresh, ˈkrāsh

1

: day nursery

2

: a foundling hospital