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

The majority of invasive species in the United States were originally introduced in horticultural contexts, including botanic gardens and nurseries. —Alexandria Mitchem Hansen, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025

If your orchid is in a decorative pot without drainage holes, take it out of the pot and set the nursery pot in the sink. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2025

Buy from a local Christmas tree farm or nursery, or one that cuts and ships its greens close to the time of sale. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2025

Continue to set up the nursery upstairs so the girls can see this is all temporary. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 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