nursery
UK: ˈnɜːsəri | US: ˈnɜːrsəri
n. a room or area in a household where young children sleep or play
n. a place where young plants or trees are grown for sale or transplantation
n. (archaic) the condition or period of being nursed or cared for
nursery = nurse<to care for> + ery<place associated with>
- nurse: From Old French nourice (to nourish, care for), derived from Latin nutricia (nursing mother). The root implies nurturing or tending to needs.
- ery: A noun-forming suffix of Anglo-Norman origin, indicating a place or function (e.g., bakery, brewery).
Etymology Origin:
The word nursery emerged in Late Middle English (14th century), originally denoting the care of infants. By the 16th century, it expanded to describe spaces for children’s activities and later (18th century) to horticulture, reflecting the idea of "tending to growth" in both contexts. The suffix -ery systematically converts verbs/roots into nouns denoting places, reinforcing the word’s functional logic.
The nursery was decorated with colorful toys and soft blankets.
She bought a young maple tree from the local plant nursery.
In Victorian times, wealthy families employed a governess to supervise the nursery.
The nursery rhyme "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" is popular worldwide.
The farmer’s nursery specializes in organic vegetable seedlings.