nursery

Etymology

From Middle English noricerie, norserye (“children's nursery; state of being fostered or nursed; education, upbringing”) [and other forms], from Old French norricerie, nourricerie, from norrice, nourrice (modern French nourrice (“childminder, nanny; wet nurse”)) + -erie (suffix forming feminine nouns). Norrice and nourrice are derived from Late Latin nūtrīcia (“wet nurse”), from Latin nūtrīcius (“that nurses or suckles; nourishing”), from nūtriō (“to breastfeed, nurse, suckle”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₂- (“to flow”). The English word may be analysed as nourice, nurse + -ery (suffix forming nouns meaning ‘place of’).

noun

1. (countable) A place where nursing (“breastfeeding”) or the raising of children is carried on.
   1. (by extension) Especially in European countries: a room or area in a household set apart for the care of children.
   2. A place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day; a crèche, a daycare centre.
   3. A nursery school (“a school where pre-school children learn and play at the same time”).
   4. (Philippines) The first year of pre-school.
2. (countable, also figurative) A place where anything is fostered and growth promoted.
   1. (agriculture, zoology) A place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared (for example, on a farm).
   2. (horticulture) A place where young shrubs, trees, vines, etc., are cultivated for transplanting, or (more generally) made available for public sale, a garden centre; also (obsolete) a plantation of young trees.
      [I]f we had but one skilful and diligent Nurſery-man, who had a complete Nurſery of all ſorts of good fruit, and of the beſt Vines that agree beſt with this Climate, and Mulberry Trees, and wholſom Trees for the avenues of Cities, Towns, and fair Manſions; That one ſuch Nurſery within ten or fifteen miles in all the Vales of theſe three united Kingdoms, would make all theſe Plantations ſpread apace, and amount to the value of Millions yearly. … I am ſure, that many in Wiltſhire, Hampſhire, Dorſetſhire, and Sommerſetſhire are obliged and the richer for the famous Garden of Wilton, and for the goodly Nurſeries about Saliſbury. 1677, John Beale, “To the Much Honoured and Worthy Henry Oldenburg, Esq.; Secretary to the Royal Society”, in Nurseries, Orchards, Profitable Gardens, and Vineyards Encouraged,[…], London: Printed for Henry Brome[…], →OCLC, pages 2–3
      Managers of small nurseries may also come into direct contact with the public, who may have complaints about invasive nursery plants or may want varieties that a nursery manager considers invasive. Thus, retail nursery managers have an important role in educating both the consumer public and the wholesale nursery sector in environmental weed issues. 2004, John Mason, “Selecting and Managing Nursery Stock”, in Nursery Management, 2nd edition, Collingwood, Vic.: Landlinks Press, page 73
   3. (sports) A club or team for developing the skills of young players.
3. (countable) Something which educates and nurtures.
   Commerce is the nursery of seamen.
   The Apoſtles in their travails took ſome choice, and hopeful perſons to accompany them, to Miniſter unto them, and obſerve their waies, who were a kind of ſeminary, or nurſery of Apoſtles, planted, with deſigned ſucceſſors. 1662, Daniel Burston, Ἐυαγγελιστης ετι Ἐυαγγελιζομενος [Euangelistes eti Euangelizomenos]. Or, The Evangelist yet Evangelizing.[…], Dublin: Printed by John Crook,[…], and are to be sold by Samuel Dancer, …, →OCLC, pages 69–70
   [I]n fine, they must consider Christian families as the nurseries of the church on earth, as the church on earth is the nursery of the church in heaven; and thus be brought to bring up youth in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord:" and then we shall have peace; then all will speak the same things, and there will be no divisions among you. 1822 October, Joshua L[acy] Wilson, “Sermon I. Methods of Peace.”, in Original Sermons; by Presbyterian Ministers, in the Mississippi Valley, Cincinnati, Oh.: Published by M‘Millan & Clopper.[…], published 1833, →OCLC, page 22
4. (countable, billiards) Short for nursery cannon (“a carom shot involving balls that are very close together”).
5. (countable, obsolete, rare) Someone or something that is nursed; a nursling.
6. (uncountable, obsolete) The act of nursing or rearing.