nursery

noun

nurs·​ery ˈnər-s(ə-)rē 

plural nurseries

1

obsolete : attentive care : fosterage

2

a

: a child's bedroom

b

: a place where children are temporarily cared for in their parents' absence

c

: day nursery

3

a

: something that fosters, develops, or promotes

b

: a place in which persons are trained or educated

4

: an area where plants are grown for transplanting, for use as stocks for budding and grafting, or for sale

5

: a place where young animals grow or are cared for

Synonyms

• breeding ground
• hotbed
• hothouse
• nest
• nidus
• seedbed
• seminary

Examples of nursery in a Sentence

She still needs to decorate the nursery before the baby comes.

We get our flowers from a local nursery.

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of the trees come from wholesale nurseries, but City Plants has started growing native trees for giveaways at Los Angeles’s historic Commonwealth Nursery at Griffith Park. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024

Photo: Ethan Herrington In one nursery, custom shades with fabric from Soane, a daybed from Serena & Lily, and an antique stool from Falconer’s mom’s childhood bedroom fill the sophisticated yet playful room. —Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2024

Divers collect the squares and bring the urchins to an on-land nursery to grow. —Evan Bush, NBC News, 19 Sep. 2024

Courtesy of brand Audible Subscription $45 Amazon When the baby is up in the middle of the night in a dark nursery, Audible’s subscription service makes the perfect companion (besides that snuggly little one, of course). —Talia Abbas, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nursery

• day nursery
• nursery rhyme
• nursery school
• nursery slope

Kids Definition

nursery

noun

nurs·​ery ˈnərs-(ə-)rē 

plural nurseries

1

a

: a child's bedroom

b

: a place where children are temporarily cared for in their parents' absence

2

: a place where plants (as trees or shrubs) are grown for transplanting, for use as stocks in grafting, or for sale

Medical Definition

nursery

noun

nurs·​ery ˈnərs-(ə-)rē 

plural nurseries

: the department of a hospital where newborn infants are cared for