Kindergarten

Etymology
. Coined in 1840 by in the metaphorical sense of “place where children can grow in a natural way”, not in the literal sense of “garden”.

Noun

 * 1) nursery school; kindergarten; day care center institution where children below school age play and are looked after during the day

Usage notes

 * The German institution is not regarded as a school, but as a form of day care. There is an element of, but none of . At least with regards to the American sense of , the German word is a false friend. The proper equivalent is.