nursery

plural nurseries

1. A place where nursing (“breastfeeding”) or the raising of children is carried on.
   1. broadlycountableuncountableEspecially in European countries: a room or area in a household set apart for the care of children.

      But they had already discovered that he could be bullied, and they had it their own way; and presently Selwyn lay prone upon the nursery floor, impersonating a ladrone while pleasant shivers chased themselves over Drina, whom he was stalking.

      1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “His Own People”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 14

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      As soon as she was alone and the carriage had been driven well away from the door, Mrs. Trevelyan left the drawing-room and went up to the nursery. As she entered she clothed her face with her sweetest smile. "How is his own mother's dearest, dearest, darling duck?" she said, putting out her arms and taking the boy from the nurse.

      1869 May, Anthony Trollope, “Lady Milborough as Ambassador”, in He Knew He Was Right, volume I, London: Strahan and Company, […], →OCLC, page 87

   2. BritishUKcountableuncountableAn institution for small children who not yet have begun primary school during daytime (when their parents work); a daycare centre.

      Synonyms: crèche

   3. PhilippinescountableuncountableThe first year of pre-school.
2. alsocountablefigurativelyA place where anything is fostered and growth promoted.

   [S]ince for the great deſire I had To ſee faire Padua, nurſerie of Arts, I am arriu'd for fruitfull Lombardie, The pleaſant garden of great Italy.

   c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 210, column 2

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   Playes are the nurseries of vice, the bawd, / That thorow the senses steales our hearts abroad, / Tainting our eares with obscæne bawdery, / Lascivious words, and wanton ribaulry.

   1629, Fra[ncis] Lenton, “Section XIV. The Young Gallant’s Whirlgig.”, in James Orchard Halliwell, editor, The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom, an Ancient Interlude. […], London: […] Shakespeare Society, published 1846, →OCLC, page 129

   Nudgee College is regarded as the greatest rugby nursery in Queensland, with the boys in the blue-and-white butcher's stripes winning more Greater Public School rugby premierships than any other team.

   2010, Tracey Wickham, with Peter Meares, chapter 1, in Treading Water, North Sydney, N.S.W.: Ebury Publishing, →ISBN; republished Sydney, N.S.W.: ReadHowYouWant, 2011, →ISBN, part 1 (Birth of a Champion: That Solomon’s Crawl), page 7

   Synonyms: soil

   1. alsocountablefigurativelyuncountableagricultureA place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared (for example, on a farm).

      Synonyms: soil

   2. alsocountablefigurativelyuncountableagricultureA 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.

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      [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, →ISBN, page 73

      Synonyms: soil

   3. alsocountablefigurativelyuncountablehobbiesA club or team for developing the skills of young players.

      Synonyms: soil

3. countableSomething which educates and nurtures.

   Commerce is the nursery of seamen.

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   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. abbreviationcountableellipsisball gamesEllipsis of nursery cannon (“a carom shot involving balls that are very close together”).
5. countableobsoleterareSomeone or something that is nursed; a nursling.
6. obsoleteuncountableThe act of nursing or rearing.

   I lou'd her moſt, and thought to ſet my reſt / On her kind nurcery, [...]

   I loved her [Cordelia] most, and thought to set to spend my retirement relying / On her kind nursing, …

   c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]