kindergarten
nouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈkɪndəˌɡɑːt(ə)n//
- Canada//ˈkɪndəɹˌɡɑːɹt(ə)n//
- Canada//ˈkɪndəɹˌɡɑːɹd(ə)n//
- Canada/[ˈkʰɪn(d)əɹˌɡɑːɹt̬(ə)n]/
- Canada/[ˈkʰɪɾ̃əɹˌɡɑːɹʔn̩]/
The elementary school grade before first grade.
noun
- 1
historicalAn educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; a nursery school.
- 2
The elementary school grade before first grade.
- 3
The two levels between nursery and prep; the second and third years of preschool.
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from German Kindergarten (“kindergarten”, literally “garden of children”), coined by German pedagogue Friedrich Fröbel in 1840.
Forms
- plural
- kindergartens, kindergärten
kindergarten · The elementary school grade before first grade.
kindly · Having a kind personality; kind, warmhearted, sympathetic.kindness · The state of being kind.king · A male monarch; a man who heads a monarchy; in an absolute…