playground

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 on, 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.

Related terms

• playfield
• playhouse
• playland
• playpen
• playroom
• playstead

Translations

large open space to play on, usually for children

Arabic: مَلْعَب أَطْفَال‎ m (malʿab ʾaṭfāl) Armenian: խաղի հրապարակ (xałi hraparak) Azerbaijani: uşaq meydançası Basque: jolas parkea sg, jolastoki sg Belarusian: дзіця́чая пляцо́ўка f (dzicjáčaja pljacóŭka), дзетпляцо́ўка f (dzjetpljacóŭka) Bulgarian: де́тска площа́дка f (détska ploštádka), игри́ще (bg) n (igríšte) Burmese: ကစားကွင်း (my) (ka.ca:kwang:) Chinese: Mandarin: 操場／操场 (zh) (cāochǎng), 遊樂園／游乐园 (zh) (yóulèyuán), 遊樂場／游乐场 (zh) (yóulèchǎng) Czech: hřiště (cs) n, dětské hřiště n Danish: legeplads (da) c, åbent område n Dutch: speelplein (nl) n, speelterrein (nl) n, speeltuin (nl) m Esperanto: ludejo Estonian: mänguväljak Finnish: leikkikenttä (fi), leikkipuisto (fi) French: terrain de jeu (fr) m, aire de jeux (fr) f German: Spielwiese (de) f, Spielplatz (de) m, Kinderspielplatz (de) m Greek: παιχνιδότοπος m (paichnidótopos), παιδική χαρά (el) f (paidikí chará), παιδότοπος (el) m (paidótopos) Hebrew: גן שעשועים‎ m (gan sha'ashuím), מגרש משחקים‎ m (migrásh misẖaqím) Hindi: क्रीड़ास्थल m (krīṛāsthal) Hungarian: játszótér (hu) Icelandic: leikvöllur (is) m Italian: parco giochi m, parco gioco m, parco (it) m Japanese: 遊び場 (あそびば, asobiba) Khmer: វិហារដ្ឋាន (vihaaratthaan) Korean: 놀이터 (ko) (noriteo) Lao: ສະໜາມເດັກຫຼິ້ນ (sa nām dek lin) Macedonian: игралиште n (igralište) Maori: papa tākaro Norwegian: Bokmål: lekeplass (no) m, leikeplass m Nynorsk: leikeplass m Persian: زمین بازی‎ (zamin-e bâzi) Plautdietsch: Spälplauz m Polish: plac zabaw (pl) m Portuguese: parque infantil (pt) m, parquinho m (Brazil) Romanian: teren de joc n, loc de joacă n Russian: де́тская площа́дка (ru) f (détskaja ploščádka), детплоща́дка (ru) f (detploščádka) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: ѝгралӣште n Roman: ìgralīšte (sh) n Slovak: ihrisko n, detské ihrisko n Slovene: igrišče (sl) n Spanish: parque infantil m, espacio de recreación m, zona de juegos f Swahili: kiwanja (sw) Swedish: lekplats (sv) c Tagalog: palaruan Thai: สนามเด็กเล่น (sà-nǎam-dèk-lên) Turkish: oyun alanı (tr), oyun sahası (tr) Ukrainian: дитячий майда́нчик m (dytjačyj majdánčyk), дитмайда́нчик m (dytmajdánčyk) Vietnamese: sân chơi (vi)

open-air space on a school campus where the children can play

Basque: jolastoki sg Bulgarian: двор (bg) m (dvor) Catalan: pati d'escola m, pati escolar m, pati d'esbarjo m, pati (ca) m Chinese: Mandarin: 操場／操场 (zh) (cāochǎng), 游樂園／游乐园, 游乐园 (zh) (yóulèyuán), 遊樂場／游乐场 (zh) (yóulèchǎng) Dutch: speelplein (nl) n, speelplaats (nl) Finnish: leikkipaikka, leikkikenttä (fi), leikkipuisto (fi) French: cour de récréation (fr) f, cour de récré (fr) f German: Schulhof (de) m Greek: αυλή (el) f (avlí) Icelandic: leikvöllur (is) m Maori: papa tākaro Norwegian: skolegård m Plautdietsch: Spälplauz m Portuguese: playground (pt) m (Brazil), recreio (pt) m (Portugal) Russian: шко́льный двор (ru) m (škólʹnyj dvor) Spanish: patio de recreo m, patio de colegio m, patio escolar m, patio (es) m Swedish: skolgård (sv) c Tagalog: palaruan Thai: สนามเด็กเล่น (sà-nǎam-dèk-lên) Turkish: okul bahçesi

small area for children

Basque: haur parkea sg Catalan: parc infantil m, àrea de joc infantil f Chinese: Mandarin: 操場／操场 (zh) (cāochǎng), 游樂園／游乐园, 游乐园 (zh) (yóulèyuán), 遊樂場／游乐场 (zh) (yóulèchǎng) Czech: hřiště (cs) n Danish: legeplads (da) c, sandkasse (da) c Dutch: speeltuin (nl) f, speelterrein (nl) n Finnish: leikkipaikka German: Spielplatz (de) m Greek: παιδότοπος (el) m (paidótopos), παιδική χαρά (el) f (paidikí chará) Macedonian: игралиште n (igralište) Norwegian: lekeplass (no) m Portuguese: parque infantil (pt) m, playground (pt) m (Brazil), parquinho (Brazil) Russian: де́тская площа́дка (ru) f (détskaja ploščádka) Serbo-Croatian: ìgralīšte (sh) n Spanish: juegos infantiles m, parque infantil m, área de juego infantil m or f pl Swedish: lekplats (sv) c, lekpark (sv) c Thai: สนามเด็กเล่น (sà-nǎam-dèk-lên) Turkish: oyun alanı (tr), oyun sahası (tr)

space to do what one pleases

Bulgarian: игрище (bg) n (igrište) Chinese: Mandarin: 游樂園／游乐园, 游乐园 (zh) (yóulèyuán), 遊樂場／游乐场 (zh) (yóulèchǎng) Danish: tumleplads c, sandkasse (da) c Dutch: speelterrein (nl) n Finnish: leikkikenttä (fi), temmellyskenttä (fi) German: Spielwiese (de) f Greek: παιδική χαρά (el) f (paidikí chará) Macedonian: игралиште n (igralište) Portuguese: playground (pt) m (Brazil) Russian: игрова́я площа́дка f (igrovája ploščádka) Serbo-Croatian: ѝгралӣште n, ìgralīšte (sh) n Spanish: campo libre m Swedish: lekplats (sv) c Turkish: deneme tahtası (tr)

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

Translations to be checked

French: (please verify) cour de récréation Italian: (please verify) campo giochi

References

1. Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “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)