one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician)
"After the surgery, my mother hired a nurse to monitor her recovery and administer medication as directed by the doctor."
A wet nurse.
"After her own milk dried up, the baby was sent to live with a wealthy neighbor who agreed to serve as his wet nurse."
In plain English: A nurse is a person who takes care of sick people and helps doctors treat them.
"After the surgery, she asked her doctor to visit her nurse before leaving the hospital."
Usage: When used as a noun in modern English, nurse refers to a trained healthcare professional who cares for patients, not a wet nurse or breastfeeding mother. Reserve the historical term wet nurse for discussions about historical childcare practices rather than current medical roles.
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
"He nursed his cold with Chinese herbs"
serve as a nurse; care for sick or handicapped people
"After her surgery, I stayed by her side to nurse her back to health."
treat carefully
"He nursed his injured back by lying in bed several hours every afternoon"
"He nursed the flowers in his garden and fertilized them regularly"
To breastfeed: to feed (a baby) at the breast; to suckle.
"The new mother gently lifted her shirt to nurse their newborn during the quiet hours of the night."
In plain English: To nurse something means to take care of it gently and patiently until it gets better or recovers.
"She will nurse her injured arm until it heals completely."
Usage: To nurse means to feed an infant directly from your own breast or to provide milk using a bottle for that purpose. You can also use this verb when caring for someone who is ill, but in the context of feeding, it specifically refers to breastfeeding or bottle-feeding a baby.
A surname.
"The local farmer, Mr. Nurse, is known for his exceptional dairy cows."
The word "nurse" comes from the Old French norrice, which was borrowed from Late Latin nūtrīcia. Originally, it referred specifically to a wet nurse who suckled infants.