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

• breeding ground
• hotbed
• hothouse
• nest
• nidus
• seedbed
• seminary

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

Most local nurseries pot up their rose plants for sale. —Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2025

Purchase bare root roses from a reputable nursery to ensure quality. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2025

Snow and sleet was reported as far south as Sarasota and Melbourne, causing many accidents and traffic fatalities and extensive damage to winter crops and berries and ornamental nursery plants. —Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2025

The easiest way to do this is with a 1-gallon plastic pot – that ubiquitous black container used for growing nursery stock — turned upside down. —Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 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

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