nurse
pronunciation
How to pronounce nurse in British English:
UK [nɜːs]
How to pronounce nurse in American English:
US [nɜːrs]
-
- Noun:
- one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician)
- a woman who is the custodian of children
-
- Verb:
- try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
- maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
- serve as a nurse; care for sick or handicapped people
- treat carefully
- give suck to
Word Origin
- nurse
- nurse: [13] The ultimate source of nurse was Latin nūtrīre (which also gave English nourish [13], nutriment [16], and nutrition [16]). This originally meant ‘suckle’ (it is related to Sanskrit snauti ‘drips, trickles’), but was later generalized to ‘feed, nourish’ and ‘look after’. Both ‘suckle’ and ‘look after’ are preserved in nurse, which comes via Old French nourice from the late Latin derivative nūtrīcia, although originally the ‘looking after’ was restricted to children: the notion of a nurse as a ‘carer for sick people’ did not emerge in English until the end of the 16th century.The derivative nursery [16] retains its associations with children, and by extension with young plants. Late Latin nūtrītūra ‘feeding’, based on nūtrīre, gave English nurture [14].=> nourish, nurture, nutriment, nutrition
- nurse (n.1)
- 12c., nurrice "wet-nurse, foster-mother to a young child" (modern form from late 14c.), from Old French norrice "foster-mother, wet-nurse, nanny" (source of proper name Norris), from Late Latin *nutricia "nurse, governess, tutoress," noun use of fem. of Latin nutricius "that suckles, nourishes," from nutrix (genitive nutricis) "wet-nurse," from nutrire "to suckle" (see nourish). Meaning "person who takes care of sick" in English first recorded 1580s.
- nurse (n.2)
- "dogfish, shark," late 15c., of unknown origin.
- nurse (v.)
- 1530s, "to suckle (an infant);" 1520s in the passive sense, "to bring up" (a child); alteration of Middle English nurshen (13c.; see nourish), Sense of "take care of (a sick person)" is first recorded 1736. Related: Nursed; nursing.
Example
- 1. A beautiful young nurse asked him to fill forms .
- 2. But not all mothers are able to nurse .
- 3. Co-sleep and nurse in bed at night .
- 4. Another would encourage greater use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants .
- 5. I 'm a very talented nurse .