nurture

[nur-cher]

verb (used with object)

nurtured, nurturing 

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

Other Word Forms

• nurturable adjective
• nurtureless adjective
• nurturer noun
• unnurtured adjective
• well-nurtured 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

In another popular series, Yizo Yizo, she played a nurturing mother in a show that captured the raw realities of life in a South African township.

From BBC

To say that the streets of Boyle Heights, where he was born, nurtured his worldview would be an understatement.

From Los Angeles Times

“Women are the kind of people that people come out of,” the pastor told the reporter, noting that women have no role outside of nurturing children and tending to husbands.

From Salon

If governments and the legal system won’t nurture these waters, we must seek out and support rewilding efforts on our own.

From Salon

"Salah's family is the foundation and secret behind his success," adds El-Saadany, who calls himself Salah's first coach after nurturing him when he was eight years old.

From BBC