playground

[ pley-ground ]

noun

1. an area used for outdoor play or recreation, especially by children, and often containing recreational equipment such as slides and swings.
2. Informal. any place, environment, or facility used for recreation or amusement, as a resort:

   The tropical island is an international playground for the rich.

3. an arena of operation or activity.

playground

/ ˈpleɪˌɡraʊnd /

noun

1. an outdoor area for children's play, esp one having swings, slides, etc, or adjoining a school
2. a place or region particularly popular as a sports or holiday resort
3. a sphere of activity

   reading was his private playground

Word History and Origins

Origin of playground¹

First recorded in 1770–80; play + ground ¹

Example Sentences

A Hezbollah drone also hit the playground of a kindergarten in a suburb of the Israeli city of Haifa, but no-one was hurt.

From BBC

I was thinking about that idea during my stroll through the park, where a children’s playground has been fenced off for months after being damaged in a fire.

From Los Angeles Times

This warped revival parallels the case of Joey Deacon, a man with cerebral palsy whose appearance on Blue Peter in the 1980s backfired to spark playground mockery, with kids shouting “you're a Joey!”

From BBC

For 5 year old Izan and 3 year old Rubén, few places felt safer than the playground that was their house and garden.

From BBC

With karaoke, late-night comfort food and the best body scrub treatments around, there’s no better post-work playground.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• park