A conservatory is a special school focused entirely on training talented students in music, dance, or theater. At a conservatory, students don't just take a music class once a week: they spend hours every day practicing their instruments, studying music theory, and performing. Famous conservatories like Juilliard in New York City or the Royal Academy of Music in London have trained some of the world's greatest musicians and dancers.

Students at a conservatory are serious about their craft, working with expert teachers who help them develop professional-level skills. A pianist at a conservatory might practice six hours a day. A ballet dancer might spend years perfecting technique at the barre.

The word also refers to a room with glass walls and a glass roof, designed for growing plants that need lots of sunlight. These glass conservatories keep tropical plants warm even in cold climates. Both types of conservatories are places where something delicate and valuable, whether art or exotic plants, is carefully nurtured and protected so it can flourish.