day care

[dey kair]

noun

1. supervised daytime care for preschool children, the elderly, or those with chronic disabilities, usually provided at a center outside the home.

   Finding quality day care that we can afford has been challenging.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or providing day care.

   daycare center;

   day-care program.

Word History and Origins

Origin of day care¹

First recorded in 1895–1900 for noun, and 1940–45 for adjective

Example Sentences

Most alarmingly, he’s been terrorizing immigrants with something akin to zeal, painting food cart operators and day care workers as an existential threat to middle America.

From Salon

Evan was autistic and attended a day care centre in Drogheda.

From BBC

The centers were previously protected under a “sensitive locations” directive that advised ICE to not conduct enforcement in places like schools and day cares.

From Salon

The annual cost to put a child in day care can be more than college tuition or even a mortgage payment for American families.

From Los Angeles Times

"We are not angry with him. We are not upset at him – we blame the day care."

From BBC

Related Words

• child care www.thesaurus.com
• daycare 
• nursery 
• nursery school 
• preschool