crèche

Alternative forms

• creche

Etymology

Borrowed from French crèche, from Frankish *krippija, *kribbija, from Proto-Germanic *kribjǭ. Doublet of crib.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɹɛʃ/

Noun

crèche (plural crèches)

1. A representation of the nativity scene.
2. A hospital for orphaned infants; a foundling hospital.
3. A day nursery.
4. (marine biology) A group of young who stay together for protection.

Anagrams

• Creech

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French creche, cresche (“manger, feeding trough”), from Late Latin cripia (“feeding trough”), from Frankish *krippija, *kribbija (“crib”), from Proto-Germanic *kribjǭ (“crib”), from Proto-Indo-European *g(')rībh- (“basket, net”). Cognate with Old High German krippa, kripja (“crib”) (German Krippe), Old English cribb, crybb (“crib”), Dutch kribbe (“crib”), Danish krybbe, Swedish krubba, Irish grib. More at crib.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʁɛʃ/

• Audio (France, Paris)

  (file)

• Homophones: crèchent, crèches

Noun

crèche f (plural crèches)

1. crèche (the Nativity scene)
2. crèche (day nursery)

Verb

crèche

1. first-person singular present indicative of crécher
2. third-person singular present indicative of crécher
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of crécher
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of crécher
5. second-person singular imperative of crécher

Further reading

• “crèche” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).