n. & v.
n. 1 a person trained to assist doctors in caring for the sick or infirm. 2 a person employed or trained to take charge of young children. 3 archaic = wet-nurse. 4 Forestry a tree planted as a shelter to others. 5 Zool. a sexually imperfect bee, ant, etc., caring for a young brood; a worker.
v. 1 a intr. work as a nurse. b tr. attend to (a sick person). c tr. give medical attention to (an illness or injury). 2 tr. & intr. feed or be fed at the breast. 3 tr. (in passive; foll. by in) be brought up in (a specified condition) (nursed in poverty). 4 tr. hold or treat carefully or caressingly (sat nursing my feet). 5 tr. a foster; promote the development of (the arts, plants, etc.). b harbour or nurture (a grievance, hatred, etc.). c pay special attention to (nursed the voters). 6 tr. Billiards keep (the balls) together for a series of cannons.
[ reduced f. ME and OF norice, nurice f. LL nutricia fem. of L nutricius f. nutrix -icis f. nutrire NOURISH ]