crèche

[ kresh, kreysh; French kresh ]
See synonyms for: cr%C3%A8checr%C3%A8ches on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural crèch·es [kresh-iz, krey-shiz; French kresh]. /ˈkrɛʃ ɪz, ˈkreɪ ʃɪz; French krɛʃ/.
  1. a small or large modeled representation or tableau of Mary, Joseph, and others around the crib of Jesus in the stable at Bethlehem, as is displayed in homes or erected for exhibition in a community at Christmas season.

  2. a home for foundlings.

  1. British. a day-care center; day nursery.

  2. Animal Behavior. an assemblage of dependent young that are cared for communally.

Origin of crèche

1
1785–95; <French, Old French <Frankish *kripjacrib

Words Nearby crèche

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use crèche in a sentence

  • There was a moral decay setting in everywhere—the founders of the Creche would never have spoken so.

    Turning Point | Alfred Coppel

British Dictionary definitions for crèche

crèche

/ (krɛʃ, kreɪʃ, French krɛʃ) /


noun
  1. mainly British

    • a day nursery for very young children

    • a supervised play area provided for young children for short periods

  2. a tableau of Christ's Nativity

  1. a foundling home or hospital

Origin of crèche

1
C19: from Old French: manger, crib, ultimately of Germanic origin; compare Old High German kripja crib

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012