Home › Words › O › orphanageorphanage/ˈɔː(ɹ)fənɪd͡ʒ/orphanage means A residential institution for the care and protection of orphans.orphanage is pronounced /ˈɔː(ɹ)fənɪd͡ʒ/.EtymologyAttested since the 1570s; orphan + -age.nounA residential institution for the care and protection of orphans.e.g.“Near-synonym: children's home (not always different)”Orphanhood; the state of being an orphan.Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).