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 of nursery

• center
• nest
• seminary
• hothouse

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

When Officers Jordan White and Chad Cox entered the third-floor apartment, body camera footage showed Pike standing in a closet, which was also Destinii’s nursery, holding the infant. —Laura Bauer june 1, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026

Some of the galaxy's most spectacular stellar nurseries resemble giant cosmic wagon wheels, with spoke-like structures that scientists say were sculpted by shockwaves from stellar explosions and powerful stellar winds. —Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 1 June 2026

Join fellow volunteers to help nurture native plants at the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy’s San Pedro nursery. —Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026

No assembly is required and the topiary includes a black nursery planter. —Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026

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

Rhymes for nursery

• bursary
• cursory
• anniversary

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