| nurse (nûrs) n. 1. A person educated and trained to care for the sick or disabled. 2. a. A woman employed to take care of a child; a nursemaid. b. A woman employed to suckle children other than her own; a wet nurse. 3. One that serves as a nurturing or fostering influence or means: "Town life is the nurse of civilization" (C.L.R. James). 4. Zoology A worker ant or bee that feeds and cares for the colony's young. v. nursed, nurs·ing, nurs·es v.tr. 1. To serve as a nurse for: nursed the patient back to health. 2. a. To cause or allow to take milk from the breast: a mother nursing her baby. b. To feed at the breast of; suckle. 3. To try to cure by special care or treatment: nurse a cough with various remedies. 4. To treat carefully, especially in order to prevent pain: He nursed his injured knee by shifting his weight to the other leg. 5. To manage or guide carefully; look after with care; foster: nursed her business through the depression. See Synonyms at nurture. 6. To bear privately in the mind: nursing a grudge. 7. To consume slowly, especially in order to conserve: nursed one drink all evening. v.intr. 1. To serve as a nurse. 2. To take nourishment from the breast; suckle. [Middle English norice, nurse, wet nurse, from Old French norrice, from Vulgar Latin *nutr  cia, from Late Latin n trcia, from feminine of Latin ntrcius, that suckles, from ntrx, ntrc-, wet nurse; see (s)n u- in Indo-European roots.]nurs  er n. |
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