playgroundn.
/ˈpleɪɡraʊnd/, U.S. /ˈpleɪˌɡraʊnd/ 1. A piece of ground used for playing on, esp. one attached to a school or in a public park.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > place of amusement or entertainment > [noun] > pleasure-ground or playground
playsteadc1175
pleasure1485
pleasure ground1755
playground1768
playfield1808
playland1891
rec1931
society > education > place of education > educational buildings > [noun] > school > school playground
campo1612
playground1768
yard1808
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > children's game > [noun] > playground
campo1612
play-greenc1650
playground1768
playing-croft1804
yard1808
tot lot1944
adventure playground1953
1768 F. de Valangin Treat. Diet iv. i. 213 The Usefulness of the Diversity of Exercises..has always induced large and well regulated Cities to allot particular Play-Grounds, or Places for public Exercise.
1775 J. Adair Hist. Amer. Indians 402 They set off a-breast from each other at six yards from the end of the play ground.
1780 A. Young Tour Ireland 104 The school is a building of considerable extent..with..a spacious play-ground walled in.
1829 R. L. Sheil in New Monthly Mag. 26 98 In a beautiful walk of trees, which ran down from the rear of the building through the play-ground, I saw several French boys playing at swing-swang.
1859 E. Bulwer-Lytton What will he do with It? (1st Edinb. ed.) I. ii. xi. 199 The play-ground [was] disturfed to construct fortifications.
1872 F. W. Robinson Wrayford's Ward III. 209 I thought that it was a very odd name,..and that the boys would be very severe upon it presently in the play-ground, and ‘chivey’ him.
1921 Daily Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 8 Apr. 4/2 Organized playgrounds were a valuable asset to any city—a playground in which there were sandpiles and wading pools for the little ones.
1960 Bedside ‘Guardian’ 9 178 One young woman reddened and said: ‘I don't think you should accost mothers on a playground.’
2003 Radio Times 9 Aug. (Midlands ed.) 79/2 The boys get to dress up in military uniforms and drill in the playground.
2. In extended use: any place of recreation.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > place of amusement or entertainment > [noun]
playstoweOE
recreation1440
playground1825
hang-out1957
1825 T. Wade Tasso & Sisters 55 The Sea—Play-ground of the winds.
1857 A. Mathews Tea-table Talk I. 4 A Magazine is..an actual playground of indulgence to young authors.
1871 L. Stephen (title) The playground of Europe.
1878 W. Stubbs Constit. Hist. (ed. 2) III. xxi. 595 The neighbouring villages were the play-ground and sporting-ground of the townsmen.
1901 Expositor July 47 Science has found the problem no playground.
1963 W. Soyinka Dance of Forests 2 Ogun, they deify, for his playground is the battle field.
1968 Listener 19 Dec. 819/2 I gave midnight nudie bathing parties from my private yacht moored at the millionaires' playground of Grimsby.
2003 ITC Classics Brochure Jan.–Nov. 13/2 Many delights await you in this tropical playground.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1768