NURTURE
Dictionary entry overview: What does nurture mean?
• NURTURE (noun)
The noun NURTURE has 2 senses:
1. the properties acquired as a consequence of the way you were treated as a child
2. helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community
Familiarity information: NURTURE used as a noun is rare.
• NURTURE (verb)
The verb NURTURE has 3 senses:
1. help develop, help grow
2. bring up
3. provide with nourishment
Familiarity information: NURTURE used as a verb is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• NURTURE (noun)
Meaning:
The properties acquired as a consequence of the way you were treated as a child
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
rearing; nurture; raising
Hypernyms ("nurture" is a kind of...):
upbringing (properties acquired during a person's formative years)
Meaning:
Helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Synonyms:
bringing up; fosterage; fostering; nurture; rearing; upbringing; breeding; raising
Context example:
they debated whether nature or nurture was more important
Hypernyms ("nurture" is a kind of...):
acculturation; enculturation; socialisation; socialization (the adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture)
• NURTURE (verb)
Meaning:
Help develop, help grow
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Synonyms:
nurture; foster
Context example:
nurture his talents
Hypernyms (to "nurture" is one way to...):
encourage (inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "nurture"):
keep going; patronage; patronise; patronize; support (be a regular customer or client of)
serve; serve well (promote, benefit, or be useful or beneficial to)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Bring up
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
parent; bring up; nurture; rear; raise
Context examples:
raise a family / bring up children
Cause:
grow up (become an adult)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "nurture"):
fledge (feed, care for, and rear young birds for flight)
cradle (bring up from infancy)
foster (bring up under fosterage; of children)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s somebody
Meaning:
Provide with nourishment
Classified under:
Verbs of eating and drinking
Synonyms:
nourish; sustain; nurture
Context examples:
We sustained ourselves on bread and water / This kind of food is not nourishing for young children
Hypernyms (to "nurture" is one way to...):
cater; ply; provide; supply (provide what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "nurture"):
carry (be able to feed)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
