nursery rhyme

noun

: a short rhyme for children that often tells a story

Examples of nursery rhyme in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The three-minute-plus earworm is more of a bombastic wakeup call than a nursery rhyme. — Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026 In one video that’s supposed to be a nursery rhyme about cars, children ride without a seatbelt and walk in the middle of a road with moving cars behind them. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Mar. 2026 As mourners talked quietly, nursery rhymes were interspersed with traditional gospel hymns. — Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 June 2026 This week, Netflix unveiled a bigger play for young audiences with the launch of a games app for kids, the renewal of two preschool series and a new show based on one of the most enduring nursery rhymes of all time. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nursery rhyme

Word History

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nursery rhyme was in 1807

Rhymes for nursery rhyme

See All Rhymes for nursery rhyme

Browse Nearby Words

nurseryman
nursery rhyme
nursery school
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nursery rhyme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nursery%20rhyme. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

nursery rhyme

noun
: a short rhyme for children that often tells a story

More from Merriam-Webster on nursery rhyme

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nursery rhyme

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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