nurs´er

nurse «nurs», noun, verb, nursed, nurs|ing.

–n.

1. a person who takes care of the sick, the injured, or the old, especially under a doctor's supervision: »

Hospitals employ many nurses.

2. a woman who cares for and brings up the young children or babies of another person: »

Mrs. Jones has hired a new nurse.

3. = wet nurse. (Cf. ↑wet nurse)

4. Figurative. one who feeds and protects, or gives any sort of aid or comfort: »

Gentle sleep, Nature's soft nurse (Shakespeare).

5. a worker in a colony of bees or ants that cares for the young.

6. the act of controlling the balls for a series of shots in billiards.

–v.i.

1. to be a nurse; act as a nurse; work as a nurse.

2. to suck milk from the breast of a mother or nurse.

–v.t.

1. to act as a nurse for; wait on or try to cure (the sick); take care of (sick, injured, or old people).

2. to cure or try to cure by care: »

She nursed a bad cold by going to bed.

3. to take care of and bring up (another's baby or young child).

4. Figurative. to nourish; make grow; protect: »

to nurse a plant, nurse a fire, nurse a hatred in one's heart. He nursed what property was yet left to him (Scott).

5. to treat or use with special care: »

He nursed his sore arm by using it very little.

6. Figurative. to hold closely; clasp fondly: »

Here I found my lord seated, nursing his cane (Robert Louis Stevenson).

7. to give milk to (a baby).

8. to hit (billiard balls) softly so as to keep them close together for a series of shots.

9. Informal. to drink very slowly in sips: »

to nurse a cocktail.

╂[Middle English nurice < Old French nurrice < Latin nūtrīcia < nūtrīre to feed. Compare etym. under nourish.]

–nurs´er, noun.