nurse

SayNURS/nɝs//nɜːs/

17 meanings of nurse

1
nouncountable
A person who helps take care of people who are sick.
The nurse brought my grandma some water and checked her fever.
Two nurses stayed by the sick man's bed all night.
Similarcarer, caregiver
Note
2
verbtransitive
To take care of someone who is sick or hurt.
Like looking after a friend until they feel better.
Volunteers nurse the sick during the long outbreak.
She nursed her father back to health after his surgery.
Similartend
Oppositeneglect
Note
3
verbtransitive
To feed a baby with milk from the breast.
New mothers often nurse their babies whenever they are hungry.
She nursed her newborn quietly in the dim room.
Similarbreastfeed, suckle
Note
4
nouncountable
A person whose job is to take care of other people's children.
Like a babysitter who looks after kids while their parents are away.
The children's nurse took them to the park each afternoon.
Their nurse read them a story before bed.
Similarnanny, nursemaid
5
verbcolloquialtransitive
To drink something slowly so that it lasts a long time.
Like taking tiny sips so a glass of juice lasts the whole movie.
He nursed a single beer all through the long match.
They nurse their drinks to make the night last.
Similarsip
Oppositegulp, guzzle
6
verbfigurativelytransitive
To keep thinking about a bad feeling and not let it go.
Like keeping a small fire going by adding wood to it again and again.
He nursed a grudge against his brother for years.
People who nurse resentment often feel worse over time.
Similarharbor, feed
Note
7
verbtransitive
To look after something gently and with great care.
Like protecting a tiny candle flame from the wind so it doesn't go out.
She nursed the seedlings until they were strong enough to replant.
Gardeners nurse delicate plants through the first frost.
Similarnurture, tend, cultivate
Oppositeneglect
8
verbtransitive
To hold someone or something close against your chest.
Like hugging a teddy bear tightly so it won't fall.
He nursed the injured kitten against his chest all the way home.
Survivors nurse their few possessions tightly to their chests.
Similarcradle, clutch, hug
9
verbtransitive
To carefully manage something, like money, so it lasts or grows.
Like watering a small plant a little at a time so it does not dry out.
Owners must nurse a young company through its first lean years.
She nursed her savings carefully to make them last.
Similarhusband
Oppositemismanage, squander
Note
10
verbintransitive
To drink milk straight from the breast, as a baby does.
Like a kitten drinking milk from its mother.
The baby nursed quietly before falling asleep.
Newborns nurse often during the first weeks.
Similarfeed, suckle

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–13

From Old French and Latin words meaning "wet nurse" and "to nourish."

Meaning 14

The origin is uncertain. It may come from an earlier word "huss," if "an huss" was misheard as "a nuss."