playpen

[ pley-pen ]

/ ˈpleɪˌpɛn /

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noun

a small enclosure, usually portable, in which a young child can play safely alone without constant supervision.

playground (defs. 2, 3).

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shall

should

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Origin of playpen

First recorded in 1930–35; play + pen²

Words nearby playpen

play one's cards close to one's chest, play one's cards right, play one's trump card, play on words, play out, playpen, play politics, play possum, playreader, playroom, play Russian roulette

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use playpen in a sentence

If you like to hit the road and travel at times, you may want to invest in a portable playpen that is easy to transport—you’ll be able to get your adventures in while having peace of mind that your pooch is in a safe place.
Best dog pen: Keep your pup safe and happy in these versatile containers|Irena Collaku|August 20, 2021|Popular-Science
I reached into the back seat to take my 6-month-old daughter and 1-year-old son out of the playpen that was perched in front of trash bags filled with our clothes, and into my arms.
I Lived in My Car and Now I’m in Congress. We Need to Solve America’s Housing Crisis.|Cori Bush|July 30, 2021|Time
However, if the object was familiar, meaning it came from their playpen, dogs and wolves approached it about the same amount.
Puppies beat out young wolves in one important skill|Monroe Hammond|July 26, 2021|Popular-Science
It can easily adhere to the sides, tray, or hood of your stroller as well as your little one’s car seat, playpen, or baby gym.
Best portable fans: Stay chill on a hot day with a cooling personal fan|Irena Collaku|July 21, 2021|Popular-Science

In a clever twist, the team also built an actual playpen that completely mimicked the VR world, to see how the rats’ brains reacted between VR and the real world.
How Virtual Reality Unveiled a Unique Brain Wave That Could Boost Learning|Shelly Fan|July 6, 2021|Singularity Hub
The children were kept in a large playpen with the radio tuned to a news station for company.
With U.S. Adoption Ban, a Mother Fears for Russia’s Abandoned Kids|Janis Cooke Newman|December 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Then I bought at Montgomery Ward a playpen for about $11 for the kid.
Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
There was the bare necessities; there was no playpen or crib for the baby.
Warren Commission (2 of 26): Hearings Vol. II (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
I say it is not necessary for a young couple to have a playpen for a baby.
Warren Commission (1 of 26): Hearings Vol. I (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
And I will point out the character of my son, and what I am saying about the playpen and so on.
Warren Commission (1 of 26): Hearings Vol. I (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
They'd been standing for it ever since I could remember anything outside my own playpen, which, of course, hadn't been too long.
Four-Day Planet|Henry Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for playpen

playpen

/ (ˈpleɪˌpɛn) /

noun

a small enclosure, usually portable, in which a young child can be left to play in safety

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