nourish

English

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”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, NYC, other accents without the "Hurry-furry" merger) IPA^(key): /ˈnʌɹ.ɪʃ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈnʌɹ.ɪʃ/, /ˈnɝ.ɪʃ/
  • (hypercorrection) IPA^(key): /ˈnʊɹ.ɪʃ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  (accents without the hurry–furry merger)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  (accents with the hurry–furry merger)
• Rhymes: -ʌɹɪʃ, (hypercorrection) -ʊɹɪʃ

Noun

nourish (plural nourishes)

1. (obsolete) A nurse.

Verb

nourish (third-person singular simple present nourishes, present participle nourishing, simple past and past participle nourished)

1. (transitive) To feed and cause to grow; to supply with food or other matter which increases weight and promotes health.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Isaiah 44:14:

     He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.

   • 1623, Francis Bacon, Historia Vitae et Mortis:

     other carnivorous Animals are difficultly nourished by Plants alone

   • 1872, Thomas Bull, The Maternal Management of Children, in Health and Diseases:

     Children nourished exclusively upon this simple food will be found to enjoy more perfect health

   • 1996, Alexander Frank Skutch, Orioles, Blackbirds, and Their Kin: A Natural History:

     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.

2. (transitive) To support; to maintain; to be responsible for.
   • 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     I in Ireland nourish a mighty band.

3. (transitive) To encourage; to foster; to stimulate

   to nourish civility

   to nourish a sense of self-worth

   • 2003, Marilyn Byfield Paul, It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys:

     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.

   • 2010, Colin L. Powell, My American Journey:

     I thanked the Fort Leavenworth military historian, Colonel von Schlemmer, for nourishing my first hope to memorialize the Buffalo Soldiers

4. (transitive)To cherish; to comfort.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, James 5:5:

     Ye have nourished your hearts.

5. (transitive, of a person) To educate or bring up; to nurture; to promote emotional, spiritual or other non-physical growth.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, 1 Timothy 4:6:

     Nourished up in the words of faith.

6. (intransitive) To promote growth; to furnish nutriment.

   This type of nourishes very well.

7. (intransitive, obsolete) To gain nourishment.
   • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Empire”, in The Essayes , 3rd edition, London: Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:

     a kingdom may have good limbs, but will have empty veins, and nourish little

Derived terms

• malnourish
• nourish a viper in one's bosom
• nourisher
• nourishing
• nourishment
• overnourish
• undernourish
• well-nourished

Related terms

• nurse
• nurture
• nutriment
• nutrition

Translations

Further reading

• “nourish”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “nourish”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “nourish”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.