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7 dictionary results for: Nurse

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

nurse

[nurs] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, nursed, nurs·ing.

1.	a person formally educated and trained in the care of the sick or infirm. Compare nurse-midwife, nurse-practitioner, physician's assistant, practical nurse, registered nurse.

2.	a woman who has the general care of a child or children; dry nurse.

3.	a woman employed to suckle an infant; wet nurse.

4.	any fostering agency or influence.

5.	Entomology. a worker that attends the young in a colony of social insects.

6.	Billiards. the act of maintaining the position of billiard balls in preparation for a carom.

–verb (used with object)

7.	to tend or minister to in sickness, infirmity, etc.

8.	to try to cure (an ailment) by taking care of oneself: to nurse a cold.

9.	to look after carefully so as to promote growth, development, etc.; foster; cherish: to nurse one's meager talents.

10.	to treat or handle with adroit care in order to further one's own interests: to nurse one's nest egg.

11.	to use, consume, or dispense very slowly or carefully: He nursed the one drink all evening.

12.	to keep steadily in mind or memory: He nursed a grudge against me all the rest of his life.

13.	to suckle (an infant).

14.	to feed and tend in infancy.

15.	to bring up, train, or nurture.

16.	to clasp or handle carefully or fondly: to nurse a plate of food on one's lap.

17.	Billiards. to maintain the position of (billiard balls) for a series of caroms.

–verb (used without object)

18.	to suckle a child, esp. one's own.

19.	(of a child) to suckle: The child did not nurse after he was three months old.

20.	to act as nurse; tend the sick or infirm.

[Origin: 1350–1400; (n.) ME, var. of n(o)urice, norice < OF < LL nūtrīcia, n. use of fem. of L nūtrīcius nutritious; (v.) earlier nursh (reduced form of nourish), assimilated to the n.

]

—Synonyms 9. encourage, abet, help, aid, back. 14. rear, raise. Nurse, nourish, nurture may be used almost interchangeably to refer to bringing up the young. Nurse, however, suggests attendance and service; nourish emphasizes providing whatever is needful for development; and nurture suggests tenderness and solicitude in training mind and manners.

—Antonyms 7, 9. neglect.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

nurse (nûrs) Pronunciation Key
n.

A person educated and trained to care for the sick or disabled.
1. A woman employed to take care of a child; a nursemaid.
2. A woman employed to suckle children other than her own; a wet nurse.
One that serves as a nurturing or fostering influence or means: "Town life is the nurse of civilization" (C.L.R. James).
Zoology A worker ant or bee that feeds and cares for the colony's young.

v. nursed, nurs·ing, nurs·es

v. tr.

To serve as a nurse for: nursed the patient back to health.
1. To cause or allow to take milk from the breast: a mother nursing her baby.
2. To feed at the breast of; suckle.
To try to cure by special care or treatment: nurse a cough with various remedies.
To treat carefully, especially in order to prevent pain: He nursed his injured knee by shifting his weight to the other leg.
To manage or guide carefully; look after with care; foster: nursed her business through the depression. See Synonyms at nurture.
To bear privately in the mind: nursing a grudge.
To consume slowly, especially in order to conserve: nursed one drink all evening.

v. intr.

To serve as a nurse.
To take nourishment from the breast; suckle.

[Middle English norice, nurse, wet nurse, from Old French norrice, from Vulgar Latin *nutrīcia, from Late Latin nūtrīcia, from feminine of Latin nūtrīcius, that suckles, from nūtrīx, nūtrīc-, wet nurse; see (s)nāu- in Indo-European roots.]

nurs'er n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
nurse (n.1)

12c., nurrice "wet nurse, foster-mother to a young child," from O.Fr. norrice (source of proper name Norris), from L.L. *nutricia "nurse, governess, tutoress," from L., fem. of nutricius "that suckles, nourishes," from nutrix (gen. nutricis) "wet nurse," from nutrire "to suckle" (see nourish). Meaning "person who takes care of sick" first recorded in Eng. 1590; the verb is first attested 1535 in sense of "to suckle (an infant)," 1526 in the passive sense, alt. of M.E. nurshen (13c.; see nourish), originally "to bring up or suckle a child," sense of "take care of (a sick person)" is first recorded 1736.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
nurse (n.2)

"dog fish, shark," 1499, of unknown origin.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

nurse
noun
1.	one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician)
2.	a woman who is the custodian of children [syn: nanny]
verb
1.	try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury; "He nursed his cold with Chinese herbs"
2.	maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings); "bear a grudge"; "entertain interesting notions"; "harbor a resentment" [syn: harbor]
3.	serve as a nurse; care for sick or handicapped people
4.	treat carefully; "He nursed his injured back by lying in bed several hours every afternoon"; "He nursed the flowers in his garden and fertilized them regularly"
5.	give suck to; "The wetnurse suckled the infant"; "You cannot nurse your baby in public in some places" [syn: breastfeed] [ant: bottlefeed]

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Nurse

Nour"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Nourished; p. pr. & vb. n. Nourishing.] [OE. norisen, norischen, OF. nurir, nurrir, norir, F. norrir, fr. L. nutrire. Cf. Nurse, Nutriment, and see -ish.]

1. To feed and cause to grow; to supply with matter which increases bulk or supplies waste, and promotes health; to furnish with nutriment.

He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. --Is. xliv. 14.

2. To support; to maintain.

Whiles I in Ireland nourish a mighty band. --Shak.

3. To supply the means of support and increase to; to encourage; to foster; as, to nourish rebellion; to nourish the virtues. "Nourish their contentions." --Hooker.

4. To cherish; to comfort.

Ye have nourished your hearts. --James v. 5.

5. To educate; to instruct; to bring up; to nurture; to promote the growth of in attainments. --Chaucer.

Nourished up in the words of faith. --1 Tim. iv. 6.

Syn: To cherish; feed; supply. See Nurture.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Nurse

Nour"sle\, v. t. [Freq., fr. OE. nourse. See Nurse.] To nurse; to rear; to bring up. [Obs.] [Written also nosel, nousel, nousle, nowsle, nusle, nuzzle, etc.]

She noursled him till years he raught. --Spenser.

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