kindergarten
/ˈkɪndəˌɡɑːt(ə)n
/noun
1(In Britain and Australia) an establishment where children below the age of compulsory education play and learn; a nursery school.Her role, and that of other men and women, in urging education for women resulted in the establishment of kindergartens and the Advanced School for Girls, the first government secondary school for girls in Australia....
- I discussed negotiation skills in business schools, sang nursery rhymes in kindergartens and lectured on contemporary British culture at numerous universities for the British Council.
- He visited a range of educational establishments, from kindergarten to university.
1.1(In North America) a class or school that prepares children, usually five- or six-year-olds, for the first year of formal education.In North America, kindergartens are often found in large buildings, typically in the same building as primary grades....
- His dream was finally realized when the state mandated the existence of public school kindergartens in every school district.
- Little Johnny was in his kindergarten class when the teacher asked the children what their fathers did for a living.
Derivatives
kindergartener
- The diminished status of the language specialist is acknowledged in the following comment from an ELA teacher who works with kindergartners.
- These stories outline the basic requirements for kindergartners through high schoolers, as well as for school athletes and college students.
- With the exception of one student, all, including my kindergartners, became competent readers in Spanish.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from German, literally 'children's garden'.