What does nursery mean?
A nursery is a place where young children are cared for, watched, and often educated. In everyday British and American English, it commonly means a nursery school or a child-care facility for babies and preschoolers, although “nursery” can also simply denote the room where a baby sleeps and plays. The word has a second established meaning: a place where seedlings, ornamental plants, or young animals are raised until they are ready to be sold, planted out, or released. These uses share an image of providing care and a protected environment during an early stage of development. The word is therefore useful when discussing children’s services, horticulture, agriculture, or the early growth of living things. It can sound formal when describing a business, but it is otherwise familiar and broadly neutral.
nounA room or place where young children are cared for, looked after, or educated. It can also refer to a business or establishment that raises plants, seedlings, or young animals for sale or cultivation.
- A room, institution, or establishment where young children are cared for, supervised, or educated.
- A place where plants, seedlings, or young animals are raised until they are ready for sale, planting, or release.
- A business that sells or grows plants, especially ornamental plants and trees.
"The nursery is setting up a small play area for the children."
"Their daughter is in a nursery where she spends the mornings singing and playing."
"We bought a young oak tree from the nursery and planted it in the garden."
The plural is formed by changing the final y to i and adding -es.
"Several nurseries in the city offer places for children aged two to four."
From caring for children to raising seedlings, a nursery has always been a place where young life gets a strong start.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nursery come from?
The word entered Middle English in the sense of a place for nursing or caring for children, developing from Old French nurserie. Its ultimate source is the Latin nutricia, associated with nutrix, meaning a nurse or caretaker, and with the verb nutrire, meaning to nourish or feed. The same broad root later contributed to words such as nurse, nurture, and nutrition, all of which concern feeding, care, or upbringing.
Related word forms
How nursery is actually used
The word is common in British and American English. In the child-care sense, it often refers to a nursery school or a group setting for young children; in gardening and agriculture, it refers to a place where plants or animals are raised.
Easily confused with nursery
A nursery rhyme is a short traditional song or poem for young children, whereas a nursery is the place where children are cared for.