Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

nursery en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈnɝsɹi/ (General-American)
  • /ˈnɝsəɹi/ (General-American)
  • /ˈnɜːsɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈnɜːsəɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English noricerie, norserye (“children's nursery; state of being fostered or nursed; education, upbringing”) [and other forms], from Old French norricerie, nourricerie, from norrice, nourrice (modern French nourrice (“childminder, nanny; wet nurse”)) + -erie (suffix forming feminine nouns). Norrice and nourrice are derived from Late Latin nūtrīcia (“wet nurse”), from Latin nūtrīcius (“that nurses or suckles; nourishing”), from nūtriō (“to breastfeed, nurse, suckle”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₂- (“to flow”). The English word may be analysed as nourice, nurse + -ery (suffix forming nouns meaning ‘place of’).

Meanings

  1. (broadly, countable, uncountable) A place where nursing (“breastfeeding”) or the raising of children is carried on. ▸ Especially in European countries: a room or area in a household set apart for the care of children.
    • As soon as she was alone and the carriage had been driven well away from the door, Mrs. Trevelyan left the drawing-room and went up to the nursery. As she entered she clothed her face with her sweetest smile. "How is his own mother's dearest, dearest, darling duck?" she said, putting out her arms and taking the boy from the nurse. 1869 May, Anthony Trollope, “Lady Milborough as Ambassador”, in He Knew He Was Right, volume I, London: Strahan and Company, […], →OCLC, page 87:
    • But they had already discovered that he could be bullied, and they had it their own way; and presently Selwyn lay prone upon the nursery floor, impersonating a ladrone while pleasant shivers chased themselves over Drina, whom he was stalking. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “His Own People”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 14:
  2. (British, UK, countable, uncountable) A place where nursing (“breastfeeding”) or the raising of children is carried on. ▸ An institution for small children who not yet have begun primary school during daytime (when their parents work); a daycare centre.
  3. (Philippines, countable, uncountable) A place where nursing (“breastfeeding”) or the raising of children is carried on. ▸ The first year of pre-school.
  4. (also, countable, figuratively) A place where anything is fostered and growth promoted.
    • [S]ince for the great deſire I had To ſee faire Padua, nurſerie of Arts, I am arriu'd for fruitfull Lombardie, The pleaſant garden of great Italy. c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 210, column 2:
    • Nudgee College is regarded as the greatest rugby nursery in Queensland, with the boys in the blue-and-white butcher's stripes winning more Greater Public School rugby premierships than any other team. 2010, Tracey Wickham, with Peter Meares, chapter 1, in Treading Water, North Sydney, N.S.W.: Ebury Publishing, →ISBN; republished Sydney, N.S.W.: ReadHowYouWant, 2011, →ISBN, part 1 (Birth of a Champion: That Solomon’s Crawl), page 7:
    • Playes are the nurseries of vice, the bawd, / That thorow the senses steales our hearts abroad, / Tainting our eares with obscæne bawdery, / Lascivious words, and wanton ribaulry. 1629, Fra[ncis] Lenton, “Section XIV. The Young Gallant’s Whirlgig.”, in James Orchard Halliwell, editor, The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom, an Ancient Interlude. […], London: […] Shakespeare Society, published 1846, →OCLC, page 129:
  5. (also, countable, figuratively, uncountable) A place where anything is fostered and growth promoted. ▸ A place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared (for example, on a farm).
  6. (also, countable, figuratively, uncountable) A place where anything is fostered and growth promoted. ▸ A place where young shrubs, trees, vines, etc., are cultivated for transplanting, or (more generally) made available for public sale, a garden centre; also (obsolete) a plantation of young trees.
    • Managers of small nurseries may also come into direct contact with the public, who may have complaints about invasive nursery plants or may want varieties that a nursery manager considers invasive. Thus, retail nursery managers have an important role in educating both the consumer public and the wholesale nursery sector in environmental weed issues. 2004, John Mason, “Selecting and Managing Nursery Stock”, in Nursery Management, 2nd edition, Collingwood, Vic.: Landlinks Press, →ISBN, page 73:
    • [I]f we had but one skilful and diligent Nurſery-man, who had a complete Nurſery of all ſorts of good fruit, and of the beſt Vines that agree beſt with this Climate, and Mulberry Trees, and wholſom Trees for the avenues of Cities, Towns, and fair Manſions; That one ſuch Nurſery within ten or fifteen miles in all the Vales of theſe three united Kingdoms, would make all theſe Plantations ſpread apace, and amount to the value of Millions yearly. [...] I am ſure, that many in Wiltſhire, Hampſhire, Dorſetſhire, and Sommerſetſhire are obliged and the richer for the famous Garden of Wilton, and for the goodly Nurſeries about Saliſbury. 1677, John Beale, “To the Much Honoured and Worthy Henry Oldenburg, Esq.; Secretary to the Royal Society”, in Nurseries, Orchards, Profitable Gardens, and Vineyards Encouraged, […], London: Printed for Henry Brome […], →OCLC, pages 2–3:
  7. (also, countable, figuratively, uncountable) A place where anything is fostered and growth promoted. ▸ A club or team for developing the skills of young players.
  8. (countable) Something which educates and nurtures.
    • The Apoſtles in their travails took ſome choice, and hopeful perſons to accompany them, to Miniſter unto them, and obſerve their waies, who were a kind of ſeminary, or nurſery of Apoſtles, planted, with deſigned ſucceſſors. 1662, Daniel Burston, Ἐυαγγελιστης ετι Ἐυαγγελιζομενος [Euangelistes eti Euangelizomenos]. Or, The Evangelist yet Evangelizing. […], Dublin: Printed by John Crook, […], and are to be sold by Samuel Dancer, …, →OCLC, pages 69–70:
    • [I]n fine, they must consider Christian families as the nurseries of the church on earth, as the church on earth is the nursery of the church in heaven; and thus be brought to bring up youth in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord:" and then we shall have peace; then all will speak the same things, and there will be no divisions among you. 1822 October, Joshua L[acy] Wilson, “Sermon I. Methods of Peace.”, in Original Sermons; by Presbyterian Ministers, in the Mississippi Valley, Cincinnati, Oh.: Published by M‘Millan & Clopper. […], published 1833, →OCLC, page 22:
    • Commerce is the nursery of seamen.
  9. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis) Ellipsis of nursery cannon (“a carom shot involving balls that are very close together”).
  10. (countable, obsolete, rare) Someone or something that is nursed; a nursling.
  11. (obsolete, uncountable) The act of nursing or rearing.
    • I lou'd her moſt, and thought to ſet my reſt / On her kind nurcery, [...] c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
nurseries Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

animal nursery · nursery pudding · nurseryware · nurseryperson · workplace nursery · nurserywoman · nurserydom · nursery school · nurseryman · paleonursery · nursery web spider · night nursery · stellar nursery · nurseryful · nursery finance · prenursery · nursery rhyme · nursery nurse · day nursery · nurseryfish · nursery slope · nurserymaid

Relateds

nurse

Synonyms

nursery school · soil · soil · soil · soil · preschool · crèche

Translations (134)

gv ymmyr viljyn (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · de Kindergarten (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · nl broedplaats (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · cmn 幼稚園 /幼稚园 (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · sv plantskola (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · gd ionad-àraich (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · gl murteira (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · es criadero (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · izh jaslit (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · es guardería (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · la nīdus (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · ru расса́дник (place where anything is fostered and growth promoted) · it vivaio (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · es vivero (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · de Kinderkrippe (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ca viver (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · ru де́тская (room or area in a household set apart for the care of children) · es casa cuna (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · hu gyerekszoba (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · pt berçário (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · nl kweekschool (place where anything is fostered and growth promoted) · gd seòmar-àraich (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ru де́тский сад (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · es vivero (place where anything is fostered and growth promoted) · fi esikoulu (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · nl peuterspeelzaal (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · nl crèche (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · eo infanĉambro (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ru де́тская ко́мната (room or area in a household set apart for the care of children) · ko 유아원 (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · el βρεφιικός σταθμός (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · es criadero (place where anything is fostered and growth promoted) · es criadero (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · pt sementeira (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · ko 묘포 (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · pt berçário (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · sh obdanište (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · dsb źiśeca śpa (room or area in a household set apart for the care of children) · fr crèche (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · nb planteskole (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · bg де́тска я́сла (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · la brephotropheum (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · it sala dei bambini (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · ta நாற்றங்கால் (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · vo dabridöp (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · de Kinderzimmer (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ja 保育園 (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · la sēminārium (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ru я́сли (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · es nursería (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · ca guarderia (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · ar رَوْضَة (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · pt creche (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · cmn 苗圃 (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · es norsería (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · io arboreyo (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · tl paalagaan (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · nn planteskule (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · nl leerschool (something which educates and nurtures) · ru де́тская ко́мната (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · gl pebideiro (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · bg де́тска ста́я (room or area in a household set apart for the care of children) · bg разса́дник (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · eo vartejo (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · vec axiło (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · nl leerschool (place where anything is fostered and growth promoted) · pt berçário (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ru пито́мник (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · ru я́сли (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · nl broedplaats (place where anything is fostered and growth promoted) · fr pouponnière (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · bg я́сла (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · el βρεφοκομείο (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · fi lastentarha (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · pdt Kjinjastow (room or area in a household set apart for the care of children) · es nido (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · sv förskola (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · bg я́сли (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · es guardería (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ca planter (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · ca viver (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · bg я́сла (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · fr crèche (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · vo pulacem (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · fi taimisto (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · bg развъдник (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · de Kinderzimmer (room or area in a household set apart for the care of children) · sv barnkrubba (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · uk я́сла (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ug يەسلى (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · nl kweekschool (something which educates and nurtures) · es semillero (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · pt viveiro (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · eu mintegi (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · nl kleuterschool (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · ru пито́мник (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · gl sementeira (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · ru де́тская (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ky ясли (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · de Kinderstube (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · cmn 托兒所 /托儿所 (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · gl alcouve (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · ar مَشْتَلَة (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · hu bölcsőde (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · nn planteskole (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · tr fidanlık (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · es jardín de infancia (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · de Gärtnerei (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · bg разса́дник (place where anything is fostered and growth promoted) · bg я́сли (place where nursing or the raising of children is carried out) · vo planidabridöp (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · eo infanĉambro (room or area in a household set apart for the care of children) · el βρεφοκομείο (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · uz yasli (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · it nido (place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared) · la sēminārium (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · la paedotropheum (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · fr pépinière (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · de Kinderstube (room or area in a household set apart for the care of children) · nl kinderkamer (room or area in a household set apart for the care of children) · cmn 幼兒園 /幼儿园 (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ja 苗圃 (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · fi taimitarha (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · fi päiväkoti (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · be я́слі (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · ar حَضَانَة (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · fr crèche (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · nl kwekerij (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · mk расадник (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · ro creșă (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · da vuggestue (place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day — see also nursery school) · el φυτώριο (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · ru расса́дник (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting) · de Baumschule (place where young plants are cultivated for transplanting)

wikidata: Q155511 · wikipedia: Fritz von Uhde · wikipedia: Carolina Stanley · wikipedia: María Eugenia Vidal · wikipedia: Kunsthalle Hamburg