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: 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
4
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
nursed; nursing
2
a
: to care for and wait on (someone, such as a sick person)
b
: to attempt to cure by care and treatment
nurser
noun
Synonyms
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 13 Jan. 2023
Lauren Ghazal, PhD, FNP-BC is a family nurse practitioner in New York City.
—Lauren Ghazal, CNN, 12 Jan. 2023
One nurse can have as many as 15 patients, and even more when covering for a colleague who is on break.
—Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2023
One nurse cannot care for more than five patients at a time.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2023
His children, son Ali H. is an orthopedic surgeon, son Hamzy H. an attorney, daughter Zeinab H. is a dentist, and daughter Sara Sobh-Abazeed is a nurse practitioner.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 11 Jan. 2023
Following software developer in the overall rankings is nurse practitioner at No. 2, medical and health services manager at No. 3 and physician assistant at No. 4.
—Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 11 Jan. 2023
One nurse who did walk through the hallways with a flashlight passed Dowdell’s room while Lee was inside but did not look through the window, then falsely reported that Dowdell and the other patient were in their beds, the report said.
—Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2022
At Next Step Healthcare, one staff nurse called in sick and tried to cover her own shift by working through an agency in order to make $10-plus more an hour, Dell’Anno said.
—Katie Johnston, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Dec. 2022
Ana Faguy, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023
No one — certainly no one trying to nurse the sick back to health — deserves to go to work to get yelled at, to have food thrown at them or get pushed into the wall.
—Dallas News, 13 Jan. 2023
Ware Ranch Steak House Enjoy a tasty breakfast or brunch to fuel up before your New Year’s Eve festivities — or to nurse the subsequent hangover on New Year’s Day — at this Roseland restaurant and get 10% off breakfast menu items.
—Samantha Nelson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2022
In the 19th century, wet-nursing — where women were paid to nurse someone else's child — was widely practiced in Europe.
—Claire Moran, CNN, 20 Dec. 2022
That has pushed inflation to decades high levels in many countries, complicating efforts to nurse along recoveries from the pandemic and raising the risks of recession for many economies.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, ajc, 15 Nov. 2022
Many developing economies are caught between fighting inflation and trying to nurse along recoveries from the pandemic.
—Adam Schreck, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Nov. 2022
In the last couple of years, the sport has started to nurse something of a fixation on that period, what might be termed its early modern age.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2022
The off week allows players to nurse their nicks and bruises.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2022
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Noun
The Justice Department in a civil case on Friday said Christopher Manacci, a nurse practitioner, ran Nightingale Centers for Regenerative Medicine.
—Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 13 Jan. 2023
Lauren Ghazal, PhD, FNP-BC is a family nurse practitioner in New York City.
—Lauren Ghazal, CNN, 12 Jan. 2023
One nurse can have as many as 15 patients, and even more when covering for a colleague who is on break.
—Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2023
One nurse cannot care for more than five patients at a time.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2023
His children, son Ali H. is an orthopedic surgeon, son Hamzy H. an attorney, daughter Zeinab H. is a dentist, and daughter Sara Sobh-Abazeed is a nurse practitioner.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 11 Jan. 2023
Following software developer in the overall rankings is nurse practitioner at No. 2, medical and health services manager at No. 3 and physician assistant at No. 4.
—Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 11 Jan. 2023
One nurse who did walk through the hallways with a flashlight passed Dowdell’s room while Lee was inside but did not look through the window, then falsely reported that Dowdell and the other patient were in their beds, the report said.
—Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2022
At Next Step Healthcare, one staff nurse called in sick and tried to cover her own shift by working through an agency in order to make $10-plus more an hour, Dell’Anno said.
—Katie Johnston, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Dec. 2022
Verb
The lactation results were less conclusive, with half of the prairie voles able to nurse without the oxytocin receptor, researchers said.
—Ana Faguy, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023
No one — certainly no one trying to nurse the sick back to health — deserves to go to work to get yelled at, to have food thrown at them or get pushed into the wall.
—Dallas News, 13 Jan. 2023
Ware Ranch Steak House Enjoy a tasty breakfast or brunch to fuel up before your New Year’s Eve festivities — or to nurse the subsequent hangover on New Year’s Day — at this Roseland restaurant and get 10% off breakfast menu items.
—Samantha Nelson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2022
In the 19th century, wet-nursing — where women were paid to nurse someone else's child — was widely practiced in Europe.
—Claire Moran, CNN, 20 Dec. 2022
That has pushed inflation to decades high levels in many countries, complicating efforts to nurse along recoveries from the pandemic and raising the risks of recession for many economies.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, ajc, 15 Nov. 2022
Many developing economies are caught between fighting inflation and trying to nurse along recoveries from the pandemic.
—Adam Schreck, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Nov. 2022
In the last couple of years, the sport has started to nurse something of a fixation on that period, what might be termed its early modern age.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2022
The off week allows players to nurse their nicks and bruises.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2022
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These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nurse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of nurse was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing nurse
Dictionary Entries Near nurse
Cite this Entry
“Nurse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nurse. Accessed 7 Feb. 2023.
Kids Definition
Medical Definition
nurse
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
nurse
2 of 2 verb
nursed; nursing
Biographical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on nurse
Nglish: Translation of nurse for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of nurse for Arabic Speakers
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