nurse

noun

\ ˈnərs

Definition of nurse

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

2a : 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

4a : 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

verb

nursed; nursing

Definition of nurse (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : to nourish at the breast : suckle

b : to take nourishment from the breast of

2a : to care for and wait on (someone, such as a sick person)

b : to attempt to cure by care and treatment

3a : 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

5a : 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

1a : to feed at the breast : suck

b : to feed an offspring from the breast

2 : to act or serve as a nurse

Nurse

biographical name

\ ˈnərs

Definition of Nurse (Entry 3 of 3)

Sir Paul Maxime 1949– British geneticist

Other Words from nurse Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about nurse

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Examples of nurse in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In both cases, the women were volunteering at the school and had to bring their younger babies along, who then needed to nurse. — Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, "Here’s Where You Can — and Can’t — Legally Breastfeed in the U.S.," 13 June 2019 The backbiting and power struggles with nurses led one doctor to resort to sabotage. — Sue Shellenbarger, WSJ, "Do You Resist New Tech at the Office?," 10 June 2019 One of its owners is accused of a human trafficking scheme involving nurses from the Philippines. — Andy Marso, kansascity, "Feds’ secret list of troubled nursing homes includes eight in KC area," 4 June 2019 There are just 3,800 psychiatrists, 898 clinical psychologists, and 1,500 psychiatric nurses to look after a country of 1.3 billion people. — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz India, "A dramatic suicide threat puts the spotlight on the deeply disturbed Indian employee," 4 June 2019 The health promoter, Luis Aguirre Jaramello, perches on a horse cart while a doctor and nurse begin check-ups. — Nina Strochlic, National Geographic, "An unlikely feud between beekeepers and Mennonites simmers in Mexico," 12 Apr. 2019 There are even variations that include having the video chat at an actual clinic where an ultrasonographer or nurse first performs the ultrasound to ensure the correct gestational age of the pregnancy. — SELF, "The Complicated Reality of Buying Abortion Pills Online," 8 Apr. 2019 End-of-life nurses reported that a Lack of Acceptance/Readiness occurs among patients at a marginally higher rate than Acceptance/Readiness. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's magazine, "Findings," 10 Mar. 2019 Here's some advice from doctors, dietitians, and nurses about exactly how much and what to eat while breastfeeding. — Karla Walsh, Woman's Day, "The Best Breastfeeding Diet," 25 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Sale ended his outing by blowing a third strike past Keon Broxton with runners on the corners and Boston nursing a 3-2 lead. — courant.com, "Sale fans 10 to help resurgent Red Sox beat Orioles 7-2," 16 June 2019 But that peril is only half the story. Because for those weeks in the hospital and at home, nursing my mangled foot, the analgesic effects of opioids were all that made life worth living. — Travis Rieder, WSJ, "The Perilous Blessing of Opioids," 14 June 2019 Some cats experts hypothesize that adult cats associate kneading with the comfort observed in kittens nursing to stimulate their mother’s milk. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "Does Your Cat Love You? 10 Unique Ways Felines Say Those Three Little Words," 13 June 2019 The Phoenix campus covers nearly 1 million square feet and includes on-site fitness, physical and massage therapy, energize and relaxation areas and nursing mother rooms. — Leigh Farr, azcentral, "Ranking of the 2019 Top Companies to Work for in Arizona: Large Company Category," 13 June 2019 Many facilities also play a dual role, combining a rehabilitation wing with long-term care nursing home beds. — Ricardo Alonso-zaldivar, The Denver Post, "AP: Nursing facilities failed to report thousands of serious cases of potential neglect, abuse of seniors on Medicare," 12 June 2019 Many facilities also play a dual role, combining a rehabilitation wing with long-term care nursing home beds. — Washington Post, "Watchdog: Abuse and neglect in nursing facilities unreported," 12 June 2019 For most of this series, especially with Durant injured and other Warriors nursing significant injuries, Toronto was the better, stronger and healthier team. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "Did Raptors just miss their best shot? Doubt Warriors’ mettle at your peril," 10 June 2019 Angela Zedak, nursing a sore left leg, pitched the first three innings. — Tony Baranek, Daily Southtown, "To the tarp: Penn recruit Briana Brown ignites rally but Marist loses to Joliet West in 4A third-place game," 9 June 2019

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.

History and Etymology for nurse

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

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