nourish
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: note: Received Pronunciation, New York City, other accents without the "Hurry-furry" merger
ipa: /ˈnʌɹ.ɪʃ/
ipa: /ˈnʌɹ.ɪʃ/
ipa: /ˈnɝ.ɪʃ/
note: hypercorrection
ipa: /ˈnʊɹ.ɪʃ/
rhymes: -ʌɹɪʃ
rhymes: (hypercorrection) -ʊɹɪʃ
Forms: form: nourishes
form: nourishing
form: nourished
form: nourished
Etymology: From Middle English norischen, from Old French nouriss-, stem of one of the conjugated forms of norrir, from Latin nutriō (“to suckle, feed, foster, nourish, cherish, preserve, support”).
Senses: examples: text: He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 44:14:
text: other carnivorous Animals are difficultly nourished by Plants alone
ref: 1623, Francis Bacon, Historia Vitae et Mortis:
text: Children nourished exclusively upon this simple food will be found to enjoy more perfect health
ref: 1872, Thomas Bull, The Maternal Management of Children, in Health and Diseases:
text: we have ample evidence that male Bobolinks do not shirk the labor of nourishing their families. In a four-year study, Wittenberger (1980, 1982) found that males delivered about 60 Bobolink percent of the food.
ref: 1996, Alexander Frank Skutch, Orioles, Blackbirds, and Their Kin: A Natural History:
glosses: To feed and cause to grow; to supply with food or other matter which increases weight and promotes health.
examples: text: I in Ireland nourish a mighty band.
ref: 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
glosses: To support; to maintain; to be responsible for.
examples: text: to nourish civility
text: to nourish a sense of self-worth
text: When we slow down to pay attention to our own experience, we open ourselves to the love and richness that is here all the time. These are moments that can nourish your connection to your heart.
ref: 2003, Marilyn Byfield Paul, It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys:
text: I thanked the Fort Leavenworth military historian, Colonel von Schlemmer, for nourishing my first hope to memorialize the Buffalo Soldiers
ref: 2010, Colin L. Powell, My American Journey:
glosses: To encourage; to foster; to stimulate
examples: text: Ye have nourished your hearts.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, James 5:5:
glosses: To cherish; to comfort.
examples: text: Nourished up in the words of faith.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Timothy 4:6:
glosses: To educate or bring up; to nurture; to promote emotional, spiritual or other non-physical growth.
raw_tags: of a person
examples: text: This type of nourishes very well.
glosses: To promote growth; to furnish nutriment.
examples: text: a kingdom may have good limbs, but will have empty veins, and nourish little
ref: 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Empire”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
glosses: To gain nourishment.
Derived terms: malnourish
malnourishment
nourishable
nourish a viper in one's bosom
nourisher
nourishing
nourishment
overnourish
renourish
undernourish
well-nourished
Related terms: nurse
nurture
nutriment
nutrition