nurture Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the properties acquired as a consequence of the way you were treated as a child
    rearing; raising.
  2. noun helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community
    fostering; upbringing; bringing up; rearing; fosterage; breeding; raising.
    • they debated whether nature or nurture was more important
  3. verb help develop, help grow
    foster.
    • nurture his talents
  4. verb bring up
    parent; bring up; raise; rear.
    • raise a family
    • bring up children
  5. verb provide with nourishment
    nourish; sustain.
    • We sustained ourselves on bread and water
    • This kind of food is not nourishing for young children

WordNet

Nur"ture noun
Etymology
OE. norture, noriture, OF. norriture, norreture, F. nourriture, fr. L. nutritura a nursing, suckling. See Nourish.
Definitions
  1. The act of nourishing or nursing; thender care; education; training.
    A man neither by nature nor by nurture wise. Milton.
  2. That which nourishes; food; diet. Spenser.
Nur"ture transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Nurtured ; present participle & verbal noun Nurturing
Definitions
  1. To feed; to nourish.
  2. To educate; to bring or train up.
    He was nurtured where he had been born. Sir H. Wotton.
    Syn. -- To nourish; nurse; cherish; bring up; educate; tend. -- To Nurture, Nourish, Cherish. Nourish denotes to supply with food, or cause to grow; as, to nourish a plant, to nourish rebellion. To nurture is to train up with a fostering care, like that of a mother; as, to nurture into strength; to nurture in sound principles. To cherish is to hold and treat as dear; as, to cherish hopes or affections.

Webster 1913