Nurture

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈnɜːɹ.t͡ʃəɹ/

Definitions

1. The process of caring for, feeding, and helping something or someone grow and develop, especially a child or plant
2. The act of providing care, support, and education to promote growth and healthy development in individuals or living organisms
3. The act of fostering growth or development through care, encouragement, and education in either living beings or environments

Etymology: The English noun "nurture" arrived in Middle English as "norture" and "noriture," borrowed from Old French "norriture" and "norreture," which meant "upbringing" or "food." Those French forms descend from Late Latin "nutritura," "nourishment," built on the Latin verb "nutrire," "to nourish." So the word has been linked to feeding from the start: nurture and nourish are close cousins, both traceable to the same Latin verb. The English word first carried a sense of physical sustenance, much like its Latin ancestor. Over the centuries its meaning shifted from feeding the body toward raising and training, so that a child, a garden, or a talent could all be "nurtured" in the broader sense of being brought along with care. The noun and the verb grew from the same root, and the verb sense of fostering growth is the one most people use today.

Synonyms: care, raise, cultivate, foster, educate

Antonyms: neglect, abandon, ignore, desert, disregard