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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

nurture en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈnɜːɹ.t͡ʃəɹ/
  • (UK) audio

Etymology

From Middle English norture, noriture, from Old French norriture, norreture, from Late Latin nutritura (“nourishment”), from Latin nutrire (“to nourish”).

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) The act of nourishing or nursing; tender care
  2. (countable, uncountable) That which nourishes; food; diet.
    • Other great houses there bee of the English in Ireland, which thorough licentious conversing with the Irish, or marrying, or fostering with them, or lacke of meete nurture, or other such unhappy occasions, have degendred from their auncient dignities, and are now growne as Irish, as O-hanlans breech, as the proverbe there is. 1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC, page 110:
  3. (countable, uncountable) The environmental influences that contribute to a person’s development (as opposed to "nature").
    • A Deuill, a borne-Deuill, on whoſe nature / Nurture can neuer ſticke : 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 15:
    • […]a man neither by nature nor by nurture wiſe. 1649, J[ohn] Milton, “Upon His Retirement from ’’Westminster’’”, in ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC, page 59:
  4. (countable, uncountable) The act or process of encouraging the growth or development of something.
    • The problem is aggravated by the fact that much of the gay sub-culture is not conducive to the nurture of the radical ego integrity of which Erikson speaks. 1976 February 7, Philip Gambone, “Coming Out: The Gay Identity Process”, in Gay Community News, volume 3, number 32, page 4:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
nurtures Number=Plur lexicographic
nouriture alternative, obsolete lexicographic
nutriture alternative, obsolete lexicographic

Deriveds

nurturist · nurturant · nurtureship · nurtureless · nurturement · nature vs nurture · nurtural

Synonyms

upbringing · training · raising · education

Translations (42)

cs výchova (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · cy magu (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · es alimento (that which nourishes; food; diet) · ota تربیه (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · de Pflege (environmental influences that contribute to the development of an individual) · el γαλούχηση (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · el τροφή (that which nourishes; food; diet) · fi hoito (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · bg отгле́ждане (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · gl coidado (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · ro cultivare (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · it educazione (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · fr élever (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · de Umwelteinflüsse (environmental influences that contribute to the development of an individual) · es crianza (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · de Päppeln (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · gl alimento (that which nourishes; food; diet) · de Umhegen (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · it cura (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · it alimento (that which nourishes; food; diet) · fi ravinto (that which nourishes; food; diet) · sh briga (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · it addestramento (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · ar تَرْبِيَة (that which nourishes; food; diet) · ar تنشئَة (that which nourishes; food; diet) · bg хранене (that which nourishes; food; diet) · it cultura (environmental influences that contribute to the development of an individual) · cs výživa (that which nourishes; food; diet) · de Erziehung (environmental influences that contribute to the development of an individual) · ja 育成 (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · de Umsorgen (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · el ανατροφή (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · fr éduquer (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · ro educare (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · ro creștere (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · el διατροφή (that which nourishes; food; diet) · es criación (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · ga oiliúint (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · fi kasvatus (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · grc τροφή (act of nourishing or nursing; tender care; education; training) · bg храна (that which nourishes; food; diet) · pt criação (environmental influences that contribute to the development of an individual)

nurture en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈnɜːɹ.t͡ʃəɹ/
  • (UK) audio

Etymology

From Middle English norture, noriture, from Old French norriture, norreture, from Late Latin nutritura (“nourishment”), from Latin nutrire (“to nourish”).

Meanings

  1. To nourish or nurse.
    • Look where he would, some heap of ruins afforded him rich promise of a working off; the whole town appeared to have been ploughed, and sown, and nurtured by most genial weather; and a goodly harvest was at hand. 1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge. Chapter 70.”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, volume III, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 344:
  2. (broadly, figuratively) To encourage, especially the growth or development of something.
    • 2009, UNESCO, The United Nations World Water Development Report – N° 3 - 2009 – Freshwater and International Law (the Interplay between Universal, Regional and Basin Perspectives), page 10, →ISBN The relationships between universal norms and specific norms nurture the development of international law.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
nouriture alternative, obsolete lexicographic
nurtures Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
nurturing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
nurtured Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
nurtured Tense=Past lexicographic
nutriture alternative, obsolete lexicographic

Antonyms

destroy · hinder

Deriveds

nurturer · unnurtured · nurturable · misnurture

Relateds

nutriment · nursery · nutrient · nurse · nourishment · nutritive · nutritious · nurturance · nutrition · nutritional · nourish

Synonyms

grow · foster · promote · raise · feed · cultivate · encourage · culture

Translations (29)

de fördern (figuratively, to encourage) · it nutrire (to nourish or nurse) · lij dâ da mangiâ (to nourish or nurse) · bg отхранвам (to nourish or nurse) · it favorire (figuratively, to encourage) · it incoraggiare (figuratively, to encourage) · mi ahu (to nourish or nurse) · de voranbringen (figuratively, to encourage) · it curare (to nourish or nurse) · it alimentare (figuratively, to encourage) · fr favoriser (figuratively, to encourage) · de umsorgen (to nourish or nurse) · fr nourrir (to nourish or nurse) · cmn 养育 (to nourish or nurse) · gl criar (to nourish or nurse) · mi whāngai (to nourish or nurse) · bg храня (to nourish or nurse) · fi hoitaa (to nourish or nurse) · el διατρέφω (to nourish or nurse) · ja 育成する (to nourish or nurse) · mi poipoi (to nourish or nurse) · vi nuôi dưỡng (to nourish or nurse) · de hegen und pflegen (to nourish or nurse) · mi taute (to nourish or nurse) · es nutrir (to nourish or nurse) · el τρέφω (to nourish or nurse) · es criar (to nourish or nurse) · fr alimenter (figuratively, to encourage) · fi kasvattaa (to nourish or nurse)