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nurse

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To nurse is to care for someone or something, or to feed a baby milk from the breast, or when a baby drinks milk from the breast.

(verb)

An example of nurse is to help a bird with a hurt wing to heal.
An example of nurse is to walk carefully on a hurt leg.
An example of nurse is to wake up at night to feed your newborn baby.

Nurse means to drink something slowly.

(verb)

An example of nurse is to hold on to the same beer all night.

The definition of a nurse is someone who cares for sick, old or young people, or someone who provides medical assistance.

(noun)

An example of a nurse is a person who takes care of you while you are in the hospital.
An example of a nurse is a healthcare worker at a retirement home.
An example of a nurse is someone who helps care for a newborn baby in your home.

See nurse in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

wet nurse
a woman hired to take full care of another's young child or children; nursemaid
a person trained to take care of the sick, injured, or aged, to assist surgeons, etc.; specif., a registered nurse or a practical nurse
a person or thing that nourishes, fosters, protects, etc.
Zool. a worker bee or ant that cares for the young

Origin: ME norse < OFr norice < LL nutricia < L nutricius, that suckles or nourishes < nutrix (gen. nutricis), wet nurse < nutrire, to nourish < IE *(s)neu-, var. of base *(s)nā-, to flow > natant, Sans snāuti, (she) gives milk, Gr naein, to flow

transitive verb nursed, nursing

to give milk from the breast to (an infant); suckle
to suck milk from the breast of
to take care of (a child or children)
to bring up; rear
to tend (the sick, injured, or aged)
to cause to continue, grow, or develop; nourish or foster: to nurse a grudge
to treat, or try to cure: to nurse a cold
1. to use, operate, or handle cautiously or carefully, so as to avoid injury, pain, exhaustion, etc.: to nurse an injured leg
2. to consume, spend, etc. slowly or carefully so as to conserve: to nurse a highball
to clasp; hold carefully; fondle
Billiards to keep (the balls) close together for a series of caroms

intransitive verb

to be suckled; feed at the breast
to suckle a child
to tend the sick, injured, etc. as a nurse

Related Forms:

nurser noun

See nurse in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A person educated and trained to care for the sick or disabled.
a. A woman employed to take care of a child; a nursemaid.
b. A woman employed to suckle children other than her own; a wet nurse.
One that serves as a nurturing or fostering influence or means: “Town life is the nurse of civilization” (C.L.R. James).
Zoology A worker ant or bee that feeds and cares for the colony's young.

verb nursed nursed, nurs·ing, nurs·es

verb, transitive

To serve as a nurse for: nursed the patient back to health.
a. To cause or allow to take milk from the breast: a mother nursing her baby.
b. To feed at the breast of; suckle.
To try to cure by special care or treatment: nurse a cough with various remedies.
To treat carefully, especially in order to prevent pain: He nursed his injured knee by shifting his weight to the other leg.
To manage or guide carefully; look after with care; foster: nursed her business through the depression. See Synonyms at nurture.
To bear privately in the mind: nursing a grudge.
To consume slowly, especially in order to conserve: nursed one drink all evening.