fos·ter

[faw-ster, fos-ter]
verb (used with object)
1.
to promote the growth or development of; further; encourage: to foster new ideas.
2.
to bring up, raise, or rear, as a foster child.
3.
to care for or cherish.
4.
British. to place (a child) in a foster home.
5.
Obsolete. to feed or nourish.
Origin:
before 1000; Middle English; Old English fōstor nourishment, fōstrian to nourish; cognate with Old Norse fōstr; akin to food

Related forms
fos·ter·er, noun
fos·ter·ing·ly, adverb
un·fos·tered, adjective
un·fos·ter·ing, adjective

Synonyms
1. favor, forward, advance; foment, instigate. 2. nurse, nourish, sustain, support, maintain. 3. See cherish.

Antonyms
1. discourage.
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shameless or impudent; made of brass or like brass in sound, color, or strength
worthy of imitation; commendable; serving as a warning or as an illustration or specimen
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Dictionary.com Unabridged

Fos·ter

[faw-ster, fos-ter]
noun
1.
Stephen (Collins) 1826–64, U.S. songwriter.
2.
William Z(eb·u·lon) [zeb-yuh-luhn] , 1881–1961, U.S. labor organizer: leader in the Communist party.
3.
a male given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To foster
Collins
World English Dictionary
foster (ˈfɒstə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—vb
1.  to promote the growth or development of
2.  to bring up (a child, etc); rear
3.  to cherish (a plan, hope, etc) in one's mind
4.  chiefly (Brit)
 a.  to place (a child) in the care of foster parents
 b.  to bring up under fosterage
 
—adj
5.  (in combination) indicating relationship through fostering and not through birth: foster mother; foster child
6.  (in combination) of or involved in the rearing of a child by persons other than his natural or adopted parents: foster home
 
[Old English fōstrian to feed, from fōstorfood]
 
'fosterer
 
—n
 
'fostering
 
—n

Foster (ˈfɒstə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  Jodie. born 1962, US film actress and director: her films include Taxi Driver (1976), The Accused (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1990), Little Man Tate (1991; also directed), Nell (1995), and Panic Room (2002)
2.  Norman, Baron. born 1935, British architect. His works include the Willis Faber building (1978) in Ipswich, Stansted Airport, Essex (1991), Chek Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong (1998), the renovation of the Reichstag, Berlin (1999), and City Hall, London (2002)
3.  Stephen Collins. 1826--64, US composer of songs such as The Old Folks at Home and Oh Susanna

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

foster
O.E. *fostrian "to supply with food, nourish, support," from fostor "food, nourishment, bringing up," from P.Gmc. *fostrom, from root *foth-/*fod- (see food). Meaning "to bring up a child with parental care" is from c.1200; that of "to encourage or help grow" is early 13c.
of things; 1560s of feelings, ideas, etc. O.E. also had the adj. meaning "in the same family but not related," in fostorfæder, etc. Related: Fostered; fostering.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Foster parenting is filled with challenges and opportunities.
Foster has achieved what no other architect has been able to: he has rethought the airport from scratch and made it work.
Resources and training for foster parents, relatives, and respite care providers.
The relationships forged during military service foster frenetic networking in civilian life.
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