nurture

[ nur-cher ]

verb (used with object)

, nur·tured, nur·tur·ing.

1. to feed and protect:

   to nurture one's offspring.

2. to support and encourage, as during the period of training or development; foster:

   to nurture promising musicians.

3. to bring up; train; educate.

noun

1. rearing, upbringing, training, education, or the like.
2. development:

   the nurture of young artists.

3. something that nourishes; nourishment; food.

nurture

/ ˈnɜːtʃə /

noun

1. the act or process of promoting the development, etc, of a child
2. something that nourishes
3. biology the environmental factors that partly determine the structure of an organism See also nature

verb

1. to feed or support
2. to educate or train

Derived Forms

• ˈnurturable, adjective
• ˈnurturer, noun

Other Words From

• nur·tur·a·ble adjective
• nur·ture·less adjective
• nur·tur·er noun
• un·nur·tured adjective
• well-nur·tured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nurture¹

First recorded in 1300–50; (noun) Middle English norture, from Middle French, variant of nourriture, from Late Latin nūtrītūra “a nourishing,” equivalent to Latin nūtrīt(us) (past participle of nūtrīre “to feed”) + -ūra noun suffix; nourish, -ure; (verb) derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nurture¹

C14: from Old French norriture, from Latin nutrīre to nourish

Synonym Study

See nurse.

Example Sentences

"To take this otter that was cute and cuddly, but in desperate need of help, and to feed her and nurture her through adolescence and help her develop into a fully-grown adult, then off she went and hung out with her own family - observing that circle of life happening but also being a part of it was incredibly rewarding," he says.

From BBC

Instead of primarily broadcasting their own views, global health institutions can nurture communications networks that solicit local input and create opportunities for mutual learning.

From Salon

Bennett hopes there will be future seasons of “Finding Mr. Christmas,” and envisions himself as Hallmark’s answer to RuPaul, helping to nurture a new, diverse generation of talent through the show.

From Los Angeles Times

If we allow it to, this law could nurture a genuinely resilient landscape capable of thriving in an era of climate whiplash.

From Los Angeles Times

"He needed that extra year of nurture, of development," he said, "that can easily be applied to any of our young people in our schools."

From BBC