playground

English

Etymology

From play +‎ ground. Compare Middle English playstede (playground) from Old English pleġstede.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpleɪɡɹaʊnd/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

playground (plural playgrounds)

  1. (outdoors) A large open space for children to play in, usually having dedicated play equipment (such as swings and slides). [1780[1]]
    The kids have to go to the playground during recess, no matter the weather.
    The local council have set up a new playground, equipped with slides, swings, and a climbing wall.
  2. (figuratively) Any physical or metaphysical space in which a person or organization has free rein to do as they please.
    The exclusive tropical island was a millionaire's playground.
    • 1955 July, M. D. Greville, “To the Valdres by Rail”, in Railway Magazine, pages 457-458:
      Kjelsås (six miles) marks the end of the suburbs, and the line immediately plunges into Nordmarka. This vast untamed area of forest and mountain (much of it over 2,000 ft. above sea level), interspersed with innumerable lakes, large and small, is known as Oslo's playground.
  3. (programming) A sandbox for testing calls to an application programming interface.

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “playground”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English playground.

Pronunciation

  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˌplej.ˈɡɾaw̃d͡ʒ/

Noun

playground m (plural playgrounds)

  1. (Brazil) playground (open-air space where the children can play)
  2. (Brazil, by extension) playground (space to do what one pleases)