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   nurse

   /nəːs/

   noun

   • 1. a person trained to care for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital: "a team of doctors and nurses" Similar caregiverattendantcarerinformal:Florence Nightingalenurseycandy-striper
   • ▪ a person employed or trained to take charge of young children: dated "her mother's old nurse" Similar nannygovernessau pairnursemaidcrèche workerbabysitternursery nursechildminderchildcarerayahamahmetapelotinformal:nurseydated:bonne
   • ▪ a wet nurse. archaic
   • 2. a worker bee, ant, or other social insect, caring for a young brood.
   • ▪ a tree or crop planted as a shelter to others: "these plants grow beneath nurse trees such as oak"

   verb

   • 1. give medical and other attention to (a sick person): "he was gradually nursed back to health" Similar care fortake care oflook aftertendattend tominister to
   • ▪ work as a nurse: "she nursed at the hospital for thirty years"
   • ▪ try to cure or alleviate (an injury, injured part, or illness) by treating it carefully and protectively: "he has been nursing a cold" Similar treatmedicatetendattend tocurehealdressbandagesootheinformal:doctor
   • ▪ hold closely and carefully or caressingly: "he nursed his small case on his lap"
   • ▪ hold (a drink), sipping it occasionally: "I nursed a double brandy"
   • ▪ harbour (a belief or feeling), especially for a long time: "he still nursed a secret desire to try and make amends" Similar harbourfosterentertainbrood overbearhavehold (on to)cherishcling tomaintainretain
   • ▪ take special care of, especially to promote development or well-being: "our political unity needs to be protected and nursed" Similar encouragenurturepromoteboostfurtheradvancecontribute toassisthelpcultivatestimulateprotectsafeguardkeep aliveOpposite neglect; hinder
   • 2. feed (a baby) at the breast: "the women nursed their babies" Similar breastfeedsucklewet-nursefeed
   • ▪ be fed at the breast: "the baby snuffled as he nursed"
   • ▪ be brought up in (a specified condition): dated "he was nursed in the lap of plenty"
   • 3. try to play strokes which keep (the balls) close together.

   Word Origin late Middle English: contraction of earlier nourice, from Old French, from late Latin nutricia, feminine of Latin nutricius ‘(person) that nourishes’, from nutrix, nutric- ‘nurse’, from nutrire ‘nourish’. The verb was originally a contraction of nourish, altered under the influence of the noun.

   Scrabble Points: 5

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