nurse
 nurse (nûrs)n.
1. A person educated and trained to care for the sick or disabled.
2.
a. A woman employed to suckle children other than her own; a wet nurse.
b. A woman employed to take care of a child; a nursemaid.
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·esv. 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 *nutrīcia, from Late Latin nūtrīcia, from feminine of Latin nūtrīcius, that suckles, from nūtrīx, nūtrīc-, wet nurse. See (s)nāu- in Indo-European Roots.] nursʹer n.
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