nursery

noun

nurs·​ery ˈnər-s(ə-)rē How to pronounce nursery (audio)
plural nurseries
Synonyms of nurserynext
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 of nursery

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But Kyne cautions against complacency, as bycatch in fisheries, expanding agricultural development and proposals to extract freshwater from northern rivers continue to threaten the nursery habitats young sawfish depend on. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Instead of assisting in the birthing room or the nursery, end-of-life doulas could keep vigil over people during their last hours, providing comfort and companionship and helping a family find peace. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Contrary to what many are saying, that's not a baby nursery, that's a piece of content created so the college student can post it on social media to compete against her friends. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 In 2022, an ex-policeman armed with a gun and knife stormed into a nursery in the country's north and murdered 24 children and 12 adults in one of Thailand's deadliest massacres. — CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nursery

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nursery was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing nursery

Rhymes for nursery

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Browse Nearby Words

nurser
nursery
nurserymaid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nursery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nursery. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

nursery

noun
nurs·​ery ˈnərs-(ə-)rē How to pronounce nursery (audio)
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 How to pronounce nursery (audio)
plural nurseries
: the department of a hospital where newborn infants are cared for

More from Merriam-Webster on nursery

Nglish: Translation of nursery for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nursery

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