playpen

[ pley-pen ]

/ ˈpleɪˌpɛn /

noun

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

playground(defs 2, 3).

Nearby words

playland, playlet, playlist, playmaker, playmate, playpen, playreader, playroom, playschool, playscript, playstation

Origin of playpen

First recorded in 1930–35; play + pen²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for playpen

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
The motel was run by a young married couple, and I watched the woman come out and put her baby in the playpen.
Exile from Space|Judith Merril
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
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

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

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