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

While this stellar nursery is normally a dazzling, easy sight through binoculars, tonight's viewing dynamic presents a unique and dramatic observation challenge. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2026

At the time of the shooting, Rihanna and Rocky were inside the trailer, and their children were inside the nursery room, according to reporting by the Associated Press. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Investigators found bullet holes in the trailer and on the exterior wall of the home’s second-floor nursery, where the three kids were with their nanny. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Origin Of ‘Kaleidoscope’ Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ Abelia was discovered in a plant nursery in the Piedmont area of North Carolina in 1997. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 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