From Middle English foster, from Old English fōstor (“food, sustenance”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic *fōstrą (“nourishment, food”).
Cognate with Middle Dutch voester (“nursemaid”), Middle Low German vôster (“food”), Old Norse fóstr (“nurturing, education, alimony, child support”), Danish foster (“fetus”), Swedish foster (“fetus”).
Meanings
(not-comparable) Providing parental care to children not related to oneself.
ru приёмный (providing parental care to unrelated children) · fr adoptif (providing parental care to unrelated children) · fr adoptif (receiving such care) · el θετός (receiving such care) · ro adoptiv (providing parental care to unrelated children) · es adoptivo (receiving such care) · de Pflege- (providing parental care to unrelated children) · gl adoptado (receiving such care) · fi kasvatus- (providing parental care to unrelated children) · tr evlatlık (receiving such care) · nl voedster (providing parental care to unrelated children) · fr adoptif (related by such care) · ka ნაშვილები (receiving such care) · it adottivo (providing parental care to unrelated children) · oc adoptiu (providing parental care to unrelated children) · it adottivo (receiving such care) · ka ნაშვილები (providing parental care to unrelated children) · tr yetiştiren (providing parental care to unrelated children) · he אָמְנָה (providing parental care to unrelated children) · hu nevelt (receiving such care) · fi kasvatti- (providing parental care to unrelated children) · pt adotivo (providing parental care to unrelated children) · ru приёмный (receiving such care) · es adoptado (receiving such care) · fr adoptant (providing parental care to unrelated children) · de Pflege- (receiving such care) · it affidatario (providing parental care to unrelated children) · pt adoptivo (providing parental care to unrelated children) · sv adoptera (providing parental care to unrelated children) · gl adoptivo (receiving such care) · gl adoptivo (providing parental care to unrelated children) · el θετός (providing parental care to unrelated children) · es adoptivo (providing parental care to unrelated children)
From Middle English foster, from Old English fōstor (“food, sustenance”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic *fōstrą (“nourishment, food”).
Cognate with Middle Dutch voester (“nursemaid”), Middle Low German vôster (“food”), Old Norse fóstr (“nurturing, education, alimony, child support”), Danish foster (“fetus”), Swedish foster (“fetus”).
Meanings
(countable, informal) A foster parent.
Some fosters end up adopting.
(uncountable) The care given to another; guardianship.
From Middle English foster, from Old English fōstor (“food, sustenance”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic *fōstrą (“nourishment, food”).
Cognate with Middle Dutch voester (“nursemaid”), Middle Low German vôster (“food”), Old Norse fóstr (“nurturing, education, alimony, child support”), Danish foster (“fetus”), Swedish foster (“fetus”).
Meanings
(transitive) To nurture or bring up offspring, or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child.
Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The whilſt their owne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittiful. c. 1588–1593, [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: As It was Plaide by the Right Honourable the Earle of Darbie, Earle of Pembrooke, and Earle of Sussex Their Seruants (the First Quarto), London: Printed by Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, at the little North doore of Paules at the signe of the Gunne, published 1594, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:
(transitive) To promote the development of something; to cultivate and grow a thing.
Our company fosters an appreciation for the arts.
A flower beat with rain and wind,
Which once she foster’d up with care 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto VIII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 10:
And Time, which is the hound of Sish, devoured all things; and Sish sent up the ivy and fostered weeds, and dust fell from the hand of Sish and covered stately things. 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC:
Grimsby doesn't ever wound quite as devastatingly as Borat or Brüno, but it's a vital, lavish, venomously profane two fingers up at Benefits Street pity porn and the social division it fosters. 2016 February 23, Robbie Collin, “Grimsby review: ‘Sacha Baron Cohen’s vital, venomous action movie’”, in The Daily Telegraph (London):
(transitive) To nurse or cherish something.
(intransitive, obsolete) To be nurtured or trained up together.
There Florimell, in her first ages flowre,
And passing beautie did eftsoones reveale,
Was fostered by those Graces 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
tr beslemek (to cultivate and grow something) · ga altramaigh (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · pt criar (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · ga máithrigh (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · bg питая (to nurse or cherish something) · ka აღზრდა (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · de (in Pflege) großziehen (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · hu istápol (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · mi kumanu (to nurse or cherish something) · ka სათუთად მოვლა (to nurse or cherish something) · it incoraggiare (to nurse or cherish something) · nl verzorgen (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · hu felnevel (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · fr cultiver (to cultivate and grow something) · it nutrire (to nurse or cherish something) · kmr xwedî kirin (to nurse or cherish something) · sv uppfostra (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · kmr mezin kirin (to cultivate and grow something) · kmr xwedî kirin (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · fi kasvattaa (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · tr beslemek (to nurse or cherish something) · pt cuidar (to nurse or cherish something) · fr élever (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · mk о́дгледа (to cultivate and grow something) · pt cultivar (to cultivate and grow something) · it favorire (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · ka წაქეზება (to cultivate and grow something) · it allevare (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · pt nutrir (to nurse or cherish something) · fr adopter (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · mk не́гува (to nurse or cherish something) · ru хо́лить (to nurse or cherish something) · nl kweken (to cultivate and grow something) · el ανατρέφω (to nurse or cherish something) · ru воспи́тывать (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · ka წახალისება (to cultivate and grow something) · ca cultivar (to cultivate and grow something) · es alentar (to cultivate and grow something) · de pflegen (to cultivate and grow something) · ga oil (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · ka ხელის გულზე ტარება (to nurse or cherish something) · nl aanmoedigen (to cultivate and grow something) · el μεγαλώνω (to cultivate and grow something) · gl afillar (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · oc abalir (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · oc cultivar (to cultivate and grow something) · tr yetiştirmek (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · tr büyütmek (to cultivate and grow something) · mi rauhī (to nurse or cherish something) · it accudire (to nurse or cherish something) · ru леле́ять (to nurse or cherish something) · ca criar (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · fi vaalia (to cultivate and grow something) · it sostenere (to nurse or cherish something) · de (in Pflege) aufziehen (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · it accrescere (to cultivate and grow something) · enm fostren (to cultivate and grow something) · mi ahu (to cultivate and grow something) · fi hoivata (to nurse or cherish something) · kmr mezin kirin (to nurse or cherish something) · gd altraim (to nurse or cherish something) · enm fostren (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · bg отглеждам (to cultivate and grow something) · gl criar (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · cs pečovat (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · gd altraim (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · mk воспи́тува (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · ka ლოლიაობა (to nurse or cherish something) · de fördern (to nurse or cherish something) · es cobijar (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · gl adoptar (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · es acoger (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · nl opvoeden (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · mi taurima (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · mi whāngai (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · mk во́спита (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · bg грижа се за (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · de nähren (to nurse or cherish something) · it rafforzare (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · oc noirir (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · it coltivare (to cultivate and grow something) · tr yetiştirmek (to cultivate and grow something) · cmn 營造 /营造 (to cultivate and grow something) · it adottare (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · el ανατρέφω (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · ru поощря́ть (to cultivate and grow something) · mi ahuahu (to cultivate and grow something) · kmr xwedî kirin (to cultivate and grow something) · it curare (to nurse or cherish something) · mk одгле́дува (to cultivate and grow something) · bg отглеждам (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · it promuovere (to cultivate and grow something) · kmr mezin kirin (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · fi vaalia (to nurse or cherish something) · it nutrire (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · cy maethu (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child) · da opfostre (to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child)
A griesly Foster forth did rush. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC: