To bring up; nurture: bear and foster offspring. See Synonyms at nurture.
To promote the growth and development of; cultivate: detect and foster artistic talent. See Synonyms at advance.
To nurse; cherish: foster a secret hope.
adj.
Providing parental care and nurture to children not related through legal or blood ties: foster parents; foster grandparents; a foster home.
Receiving parental care and nurture from those not related to one through legal or blood ties: foster children.
[Middle English fostren, from Old English *fōstrian, to nourish, from fōstor, food, nourishing; see pā- in Indo-European roots.]
Fos·ter (fô'stər, fŏs'tər) American songwriter whose popular works, such as "Oh! Susannah" (1848) and "Old Folks at Home" (1851), reflect the sentiment of pre-Civil War America.
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.1205; that of "to encourage or help grow" is c.1225 of things; 1570 of feelings, ideas, etc. O.E. also had the adj. meaning "in the same family but not related," in fostorfæder, etc.
Main Entry: fos·ter Function: adjective : affording, receiving, or sharing nurture or parental care though not related by blood or legal relationships foster child> foster parent>
Main Entry: foster Function: transitive verb Inflected Forms: fos·tered; fos·ter·ing : to give parental care to