nourish Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb provide with nourishment
    nurture; sustain.
    • We sustained ourselves on bread and water
    • This kind of food is not nourishing for young children
  2. verb give nourishment to
    nutrify; aliment.

WordNet

Nour"ish transitive verb
Etymology
OE. norisen, norischen, OF. nurir, nurrir, norir, F. norrir, fr. L. nutrire. Cf. Nurse, Nutriment, and see -ish.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Nourished ; present participle & verbal noun Nourishing
Definitions
  1. To feed and cause to grow; to supply with matter which increases bulk or supplies waste, and promotes health; to furnish with nutriment.
    He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Is. xliv. 14.
  2. To support; to maintain.
    Whiles I in Ireland nourish a mighty band. Shak.
  3. To supply the means of support and increase to; to encourage; to foster; as, to nourish rebellion; to nourish the virtues. "Nourish their contentions." Hooker.
  4. To cherish; to comfort.
    Ye have nourished your hearts. James v. 5.
  5. To educate; to instruct; to bring up; to nurture; to promote the growth of in attainments. Chaucer.
    Nourished up in the words of faith. 1 Tim. iv. 6.
    Syn. -- To cherish; feed; supply. See Nurture.
Nour"ish intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To promote growth; to furnish nutriment.
    Grains and roots nourish more than their leaves. Bacon.
  2. To gain nourishment. R. Bacon.
Nour"ish noun
Definitions
  1. A nurse. Obs. Hoolland.

Webster 1913