as in nurse
a girl or woman employed to care for a young child or children
after years of being a dry nurse to other women's children, she longed to have a child of her own
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dry nurse
Noun
-
One brain scan showed a metal pellet, which had partially blinded a nurse after she was shot in the head while exiting the hospital.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026 -
In 2014, the Navy threatened to court-martial one of its nurses at Guantánamo who refused to force-feed prisoners on hunger strike, who were protesting inhumane treatment and indefinite detention.—
Amy Maxmen,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Lutnick was also questioned about Epstein seeking a copy of his nanny’s resume and a meeting with her in 2013, a year after the trip to the island.—
Catherine Lucey,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
But Lutnick said his wife, four children and their nannies also attended.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Dry nurse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dry%20nurse. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
