nurse
1 of 2noun
ˈnərs 
1
: a person who cares for the sick or infirm
specifically : a licensed health-care professional who practices independently or is supervised by a physician, surgeon, or dentist and who is skilled in promoting and maintaining health compare licensed practical nurse, registered nurse
2
a
: a woman who suckles an infant not her own : wet nurse
b
: a woman who takes care of a young child : dry nurse
3
: one that looks after, fosters, or advises
Time is the nurse and breeder of all good.
Shakespeare
Shakespeare4
a
: a worker form of a social (see social entry 1 sense 4b) insect (such as an ant or a bee) that cares for the young
b
: a female mammal used to suckle (see suckle sense 1a) the young of another
a nurse cow
nurse
2 of 2verb
nursed; nursing
transitive verb
1
a
: to nourish at the breast : suckle
b
: to take nourishment from the breast of
2
a
: to care for and wait on (someone, such as a sick person)
b
: to attempt to cure by care and treatment
3
a
: to manage with care or economy
nursed the business through hard times
nursed a 1–0 lead
b
: to promote the development or progress of
c
: to take charge of and watch over
4
: to hold in one's memory or consideration
nurse a grievance
5
a
: to use, handle, or operate carefully so as to conserve energy or avoid injury or pain
nurse a sprained ankle
b
: to use sparingly
c
: to consume slowly or over a long period
nurse a cup of coffee
6
: rear, educate
intransitive verb
1
a
: to feed at the breast : suck
b
: to feed an offspring from the breast
2
: to act or serve as a nurse
nurser noun
Synonyms
Noun
- babysitter
- dry nurse
- nanny
- nannie
- nursemaid
- nurser
- sitter
Verb
- administer (to)
- care (for)
- minister (to)
- mother
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun The nurse will take your blood pressure before the doctor sees you. Nurse, may I have some water? Verb She is nursing her son through his illness. The couple nursed the business through hard times. He nursed the farm back to productivity. The team nursed a 1–0 lead until the last inning. The dog nursed her puppies. The baby nursed for several months. The puppies nursed for eight weeks. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 8 Sep. 2022 Local authorities understandably have their doubts, calling for an English nurse, Lib Wright (Florence Pugh), to observe the situation. Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2022 Ducksworth, an African American nurse, was also in the room when hospital management dismissed demands of nurses of color and others to recognize Juneteenth. Malaika Jabali, Essence, 2 Sep. 2022 Luckily, an off-duty paramedic and an off-duty nurse on vacation with their own children were nearby, and pulled the child out of the water, surveillance footage shows. Luca Powell And Derek Kravitz, Detroit Free Press, 28 Aug. 2022 She's been an emergency room nurse at Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas for about three years now. James Brown, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2022 An overnight nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Clarksburg, W.V., is found to be responsible for injecting patients with lethal doses of insulin. Olivia Mccormack, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2022 There is nothing in Orthodox Jewish law or tradition that prohibits vaccination, says Blima Marcus, an Orthodox Jewish nurse in Brooklyn, N.Y. Sara Reardon, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2022 Linton then went on to nursing school and began work as an ICU nurse, Hurley said. Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2022 April Wallace, Arkansas Online, 24 July 2022 Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez made the All-Star team but both stayed in Houston to nurse recent injuries. Matt Young, Chron, 19 July 2022 The two met before the actor underwent heart surgery in 2009, and Schneider, a graphic designer, reportedly helped nurse the star back to health following his procedure. Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 11 Aug. 2022 Wildlife managers must remove the pups from their biological families, nurse them during transport, collect blood samples for further research and then put them into wild dens, sometimes with adult wolves still in them. Lindsey Botts, The Arizona Republic, 4 June 2022 The female cub, which has yet to be named, rarely leaves her mother's side and will nurse from Zola for about six months, according to the SDZWA. Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE.com, 22 June 2022 Hayes’ personal physician treated her with fish, chicken, duck, cream, oysters, or alternating servings of beef tea and milk every three hours but failed to nurse the cat back to health. Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Feb. 2022 With Trey Mancini continuing to nurse a right hand injury first suffered more than two weeks ago, McKenna drew the start in left field and ended a long bottom of the first by throwing a runner out at the plate. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2022 Frustrated by the short life span of her plants, Greene began to test out different watering and care methods that could nurse her plethora of greenery back to life. Aley Arion, Essence, 13 June 2022 See More
Noun
And Brenda carries this heaviness well, with the mental fortitude required of an ER nurse and a recent widow. Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 8 Sep. 2022 Local authorities understandably have their doubts, calling for an English nurse, Lib Wright (Florence Pugh), to observe the situation. Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2022 Ducksworth, an African American nurse, was also in the room when hospital management dismissed demands of nurses of color and others to recognize Juneteenth. Malaika Jabali, Essence, 2 Sep. 2022 Luckily, an off-duty paramedic and an off-duty nurse on vacation with their own children were nearby, and pulled the child out of the water, surveillance footage shows. Luca Powell And Derek Kravitz, Detroit Free Press, 28 Aug. 2022 She's been an emergency room nurse at Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas for about three years now. James Brown, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2022 An overnight nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Clarksburg, W.V., is found to be responsible for injecting patients with lethal doses of insulin. Olivia Mccormack, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2022 There is nothing in Orthodox Jewish law or tradition that prohibits vaccination, says Blima Marcus, an Orthodox Jewish nurse in Brooklyn, N.Y. Sara Reardon, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2022 Linton then went on to nursing school and began work as an ICU nurse, Hurley said. Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2022 Verb
When the 13 puppies arrived, the Golden was unable to nurse them, so Marissa bottle fed them every two hours, all morning and all night and in between her college courses. April Wallace, Arkansas Online, 24 July 2022 Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez made the All-Star team but both stayed in Houston to nurse recent injuries. Matt Young, Chron, 19 July 2022 The two met before the actor underwent heart surgery in 2009, and Schneider, a graphic designer, reportedly helped nurse the star back to health following his procedure. Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 11 Aug. 2022 Wildlife managers must remove the pups from their biological families, nurse them during transport, collect blood samples for further research and then put them into wild dens, sometimes with adult wolves still in them. Lindsey Botts, The Arizona Republic, 4 June 2022 The female cub, which has yet to be named, rarely leaves her mother's side and will nurse from Zola for about six months, according to the SDZWA. Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE.com, 22 June 2022 Hayes’ personal physician treated her with fish, chicken, duck, cream, oysters, or alternating servings of beef tea and milk every three hours but failed to nurse the cat back to health. Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Feb. 2022 With Trey Mancini continuing to nurse a right hand injury first suffered more than two weeks ago, McKenna drew the start in left field and ended a long bottom of the first by throwing a runner out at the plate. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2022 Frustrated by the short life span of her plants, Greene began to test out different watering and care methods that could nurse her plethora of greenery back to life. Aley Arion, Essence, 13 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English norice, norce, nurse, from Anglo-French nurice, from Late Latin nutricia, from Latin, feminine of nutricius nourishing — more at nutritious
Verb
Middle English nurshen to suckle, nourish, contraction of nurishen
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Phrases Containing nurse
Kids Definition
nurse 1 of 2
noun
ˈnərs
1
: a person skilled or trained in caring for sick or injured people
2
: a woman employed for the care of a young child
nurse
2 of 2verb
nursed; nursing
1
: to feed at the breast : suckle
2
: to take care of (as a young child or a sick person)
She nursed me back to health.
3
: to treat with special care or attention
Nurse that ankle until it's all healed.
Medical Definition
nurse 1 of 2
noun
ˈnərs
1
: a person who cares for the sick or infirm
specifically : a licensed health-care professional who practices independently or is supervised by a physician, surgeon, or dentist and who is skilled in promoting and maintaining health see licensed practical nurse, licensed vocational nurse, registered nurse
2
: a woman who suckles an infant not her own : wet nurse
nurse
2 of 2verb
nursed; nursing
transitive verb
1
a
: to nourish at the breast : suckle
b
: to take nourishment from the breast of : suck milk from
2
a
: to care for and wait on (as an injured or infirm person)
b
: to attempt a cure of (as an ailment) by care and treatment
intransitive verb
1
a
: to feed an offspring from the breast
b
: to feed at the breast : suck
2
: to act or serve as a nurse
Biographical Definition
Nurse
biographical name
ˈnərs
Sir Paul Maxime 1949– British geneticist
nurse 1 of 2
noun
as in nanny
a person employed to care for a young child or children sent his little son back to his nurse so that he could return to his study to work Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- nanny
- nannie
- sitter
- nursemaid
- babysitter
- nurser
- dry nurse
- mammy
- amah
- ayah
- duenna
- fraulein
- governess
- bonne
- au pair
- mademoiselle
nurse
2 of 2verb
1
as in to mother
to attend to the needs and comforts of willingly lent a hand to nurse his grandmother in her final years, helping her get from one room to the other and making sure she was warm Synonyms & Similar Words
- mother
- heal
- treat
- doctor
- look after
- aid
- see to
- wait on
- support
- look to
- do for
- take care of
- baby
- wait upon
- administer (to)
- minister (to)
- look out for
- cure
- remedy
- preserve
- conserve
- care (for)
- spoil
- mollycoddle
- humor
- pamper
- coddle
- indulge
- provide (for)
- cater (to)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- forget
- ignore
- neglect
- slight
- brush (aside or off)
- overlook
2
as in to suckle
to give milk to from the breast a new mother's decision to nurse her baby Synonyms & Similar Words
- suckle
- wet-nurse
- breast-feed
- bottle-feed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- wean
3
as in to have
to keep in one's mind or heart he continues to nurse a tender affection for his first girlfriend Synonyms & Similar Words
- have
- hold
- bear
- entertain
- harbor
- hold on to
- retain
- remember
- cherish
- keep
- hug
- foster
- hang on to
- carry
- cultivate
- nurture
- maintain
- support
- treasure
- cleave (to)
- sustain
- stick (to)
- preserve
- cling (to)
- brood (about or over)
- fixate (on or upon)
- obsess (about or over)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- forget
- drop
- ignore
- refuse
- neglect
- deny
- disregard
- overlook
- quit
- decline
- reject
- part (with)
- repudiate
- abandon
- scorn
- desert
- throw out
- give up
- renounce
- forsake
- discard
- disdain
- abjure
- erase
- expunge
4
as in to baby
to treat with great or excessive care nursed his sprained ankle for the rest of the week Synonyms & Similar Words
- baby
- mother
- spoil
- please
- dandle
- indulge
- mollycoddle
- cosset
- pamper
- wet-nurse
- cocker
- coddle
- appease
- humor
- delight
- satisfy
- content
- placate
- oblige
- cater (to)
- gratify
- soothe
- gladden
- pacify
- mollify
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- discipline
- control
- abuse
- maltreat
- restrain
- mistreat
- manhandle
- misuse
- neglect
- hurt
- oppress
- ill-treat
- molest
- outrage
- slight
- mishandle
- torture
- harass
- torment
- ill-use
- violate
- overlook
- victimize
- harm
- injure
- persecute
- oppress
5
as in to foster
to bring to maturity through care and education as foster parents they accepted and nursed 16 needy children over the years Synonyms & Similar Words
- foster
- mother
- raise
- father
- nurture
- breed
- school
- teach
- rear
- educate
- watch
- nourish
- feed
- mentor
- cradle
- bring up
- tutor
- promote
- discipline
- supply
- cultivate
- train
- attend
- shepherd
- instruct
- forward
- further
- guide
- mind
- minister (to)
- enlighten
- lead
- prepare
- show
- indoctrinate
- edify
- direct
- care (for)
- advance
- provide (for)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- maltreat
- abuse
- mistreat
- ignore
- neglect
- hurt
- mishandle
- ill-treat
- harm
- ill-use
- injure
6
as in to encourage
to help the growth or development of her teachers did much to nurse her literary talent Synonyms & Similar Words
- encourage
- foster
- cultivate
- promote
- nurture
- forward
- advocate
- further
- assist
- advance
- incubate
- aid
- back
- nourish
- champion
- support
- fund
- finance
- uphold
- patronize
- subsidize
- endorse
- underwrite
- abet
- stake
- advertise
- plug
- publicize
- boost
- indorse
- endow
- tout
- agitate (for)
- work (for)
- campaign (for)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- prevent
- discourage
- hinder
- bar
- counter
- combat
- contend (with)
- frustrate
- fight
- outlaw
- inhibit
- enjoin
- oppose
- forbid
- proscribe
- ban
- check
- battle
- prohibit
- interdict
- interfere (with)
- arrest
- subdue
- retard
- squash
- stifle
- suppress
- squelch
- repress
- halt
- snuff (out)
- impede
- obstruct
- encumber
- manacle
- hobble
- shackle
- fetter
7
as in to spare
to use or give out in stingy amounts he carefully nursed his energy during the marathon so that he would have something left for the final stretch Synonyms & Similar Words
- spare
- dole out
- scant
- conserve
- skimp (on)
- preserve
- stint (on)
- shortchange
- mete (out)
- pinch
- portion (out)
- ration (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pour
- shower
- lavish
- heap
- rain
Phrases Containing nurse
- exceptis excipiendis
- exceptive
- exceptors
- excepts
- excern
- excerpt
- excerpta
- excerpted
- excerpter
- excerpters
- excerptible
- excerpting
- excerptings
- excerption
- excerptions
- excerptor
- excerptors
- excerpts
- excess
- excess condemnation
- excess insurance
- excess reinsurance
- excess-loss reinsurance
- excess-profits tax
- excessed