crèche

/kreʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /kreʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkresh ˈkrāsh/ (ame, mw)

crèche — noun

  • crèchesingular
  • crèchesplural

1. a place where young children are looked after during the day so that their paren

1.名詞B1
釋義

a place where young children are looked after during the day so that their parents can work, study, or take care of other business

例句

The hospital runs a crèche for staff who work night shifts.

collocation: hospital crèche

Mei-Lin drops her son off at the workplace crèche before heading to the lab.

同義詞
  • day nursery

    more formal or official term for the same type of facility

  • childcare centre

    standard term used internationally; broader meaning than crèche

  • playgroup

    usually part-time and less formal than a crèche

文法句型

a/the + crèche

crèche + noun modifier

用法筆記

Crèche is the usual British term for a workplace or publicly provided day nursery. In American English, 'daycare center' or 'child care center' is far more common.

常見錯誤

❌I left my child at the crèche centre.
✅I left my child at the crèche.
💡Crèche already implies the facility; adding 'centre' is redundant.
❌The crèche is for babies only until age one.
✅The local crèche takes children from six months to five years old.
💡Crèches typically cover a wider age range than just infants.

2. a model of the scene of Jesus Christ's birth, including figures of Mary, Joseph,

2.名詞B1
釋義

a model of the scene of Jesus Christ's birth, including figures of Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, shepherds, and animals, used as a Christmas decoration

例句

Diego helped his grandmother arrange the wooden crèche figures beneath the tree.

collocation: figures in the crèche

The town square displays a life-sized crèche with real straw and a pair of donkeys.

同義詞
  • nativity scene

    more common in American English; the standard international term

  • nativity set

    refers specifically to a purchasable collection of figures

  • crib

    British term for the same thing, especially a model of the manger

文法句型

a/the + crèche

set up/display + a crèche

用法筆記

This sense is used especially in British and European Christmas traditions. The equivalent term in North America is most often 'nativity scene' or 'nativity set'. A crèche can be any size, from tiny table-top figures to life-sized outdoor displays.

常見錯誤

❌We put up a crèche for Easter.
✅We put up a crèche at Christmas.
💡The crèche is a Christmas decoration, not for other holidays.
❌I bought a crèche tree.
✅I bought a crèche set.' or 'I bought a crèche.
💡The word crèche already means the scene itself; 'crèche tree' is not used.

3. a historical institution that accepted and raised babies whose parents were unkn

3.名詞C1
釋義

a historical institution that accepted and raised babies whose parents were unknown or unable to look after them

例句

The original crèche in Paris took in dozens of abandoned newborns every year during the 18th century.

historical register

Dr. Hoffmann donated his entire savings to the city crèche, which cared for infants without families.

同義詞
  • foundling hospital

    more precise historical term for an institution that took in abandoned infants

  • orphanage

    broader term covering children of all ages who have lost both parents

文法句型

the + crèche

at a + crèche

用法筆記

This meaning is now largely historical. The term 'foundling hospital' is more precise in formal historical writing. Modern equivalents would be described as 'children's homes', 'orphanages', or social care facilities.

常見錯誤

❌She left her baby at a modern crèche.' (sense confusion)
✅She left her baby at a local crèche for the day.' or 'The 18th-century crèche took in foundlings.
💡Sense 1 and Sense 3 are different meanings; modern childcare is Sense 1, the historical institution is Sense 3.