preschool
n. · adj. · v.-
1 early childhood school (n.) A2 Elementarya school for children between the ages of about three and five.
an educational establishment for children too young for compulsory primary education, typically serving the three-to-five age range.
ExampleThe children learn to share and play together at preschool.
ExampleEnrolling the twins in a local preschool helped them develop the social skills necessary for a smooth transition to primary school next year.
UsageOften used without an article in phrases like 'at preschool' or 'go to preschool'.
Teacher's tipIn the US, 'preschool' usually precedes 'kindergarten', whereas in other regions, 'preschool' may include the kindergarten year.
- nursery school
- pre k
- kindergarten
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2 relating to early childhood (adj.) B1 Intermediatedescribing the years of a child's life before they start primary school.
relating to the period in a child's life between infancy and the start of formal primary education.
ExampleMany preschool children enjoy listening to stories and drawing pictures.
ExampleThe study focused on the cognitive development of preschool children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
UsageAttributive use only; it always appears before the noun it describes.
- pre primary
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3 to attend or provide nursery school (v.) C2 Proficiency Technicalto go to preschool or to provide that kind of education for a child.
to educate a child in a nursery school setting or to attend such an institution.
ExampleThey decided to preschool their daughter at a Montessori centre.
ExampleThe government is looking for ways to ensure that every child is preschooling by the age of four.
UsageCan be used transitively with the child as the object or intransitively.
From pre- + school.