Overnourishes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To provide an organism with an abundance of nutrients that surpasses its healthy requirements
2. Supplies an organism with nutrients beyond what is beneficial for its health
3. Gives a living being more nourishment than it requires for proper growth or well-being

Etymology: "Overnourishes" is the third-person singular form of "overnourish", which is simply the prefix "over-" attached to "nourish". The prefix means "excessively" or "beyond the proper amount", so the verb describes feeding someone or something more than is good for them. The base verb "nourish" comes from Old French "norrir", from Latin "nutrire", meaning to feed or suckle, and it has long been used both literally and figuratively for sustaining life and growth. Adding "over-" follows a pattern English has used freely for centuries, as in "overeat" or "overfeed", so the word needs no special history of its own.