Kindies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term often referring to early childhood education institutions for young children
2. a casual term in Australian English for kindergarten settings or classes
3. a plural form describing multiple educational establishments catering to preschool-aged kids

Etymology: "Kindies" is the plural of "kindy", an informal Australian and New Zealand name for a kindergarten class. Its ancestry is a clipping: the first part of "kindergarten" was cut off, leaving "kind", to which the diminutive suffix "-y" was attached, a pattern common in Australian English for shortening and affectionately altering words (think "arvo" or "brekkie"). The longer word it comes from is German, literally "children's garden", combining "Kinder" (children) with "Garten" (garden). The name was coined by the German educator Friedrich Fröbel for early-years schooling built around play, which is why the English parent word carries a picture of a garden full of young children. Cutting it down to "kindy" keeps the child-centred sense while making it something a parent can say in a hurry.

Synonyms: preschools, nurseries, kindergartens, daycares

Antonyms: high schools, colleges