nurse1
n.
- a person trained to care for the sick or infirm.
▸dated a person employed or trained to take charge of young children.
- Entomology a worker bee or other social insect that cares for a young brood.
- Forestry a tree or crop planted as a shelter to others.
v.
- give medical and other attention to.
▸work as a nurse.
- feed or be fed at the breast.
- treat or hold carefully or protectively.
▸hold (a drink), sipping it occasionally.
- harbour (a belief or feeling) for a long time.
- Billiards & Snooker try to play strokes which keep (the balls) close together.
Derivative
Etymology
ME: contr. of earlier nourice, from OFr., from late L. nutricia, fem. of L. nutricius ‘(person) that nourishes’, from nutrix, nutric- ‘nurse’, from nutrire ‘nourish’.
nurse2
n.
a greyish Australian shark of shallow inshore waters.
[
Odontaspis arenarius.]
Etymology
C15: orig. as nusse, perh. derived (by wrong division) from an huss (see huss).