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

Bulbs are readily available from specialty nurseries and wildflower suppliers, but pay attention to the species, as the western native, Camassia quamash, is also commonly sold. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 18 Nov. 2025

In one of the most polluted corners of Brooklyn, a nursery of seedlings thrives beneath the Kosciuszko Bridge, supplying native plants to local parks and community gardens to help neighbors connect with nature. —Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025

The Oedipal undertone of Leonora’s explanation—that his room used to be a nursery—is more worrisome still. —Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025

Several of the most impactful choices in this nursery weren’t the most expensive. —Collier Sutter, Architectural Digest, 17 Nov. 2025

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