Wordwyrt

nurse

/ˈnɜːs/NURS
/ˈnɝs/NURS

Meaningone who nourishes

Common meaning: one who cares for the sick

Journey through time

  1. Latinnūtriō; nūtrīx‘to suckle, nourish’
  2. Old Frenchnorricesource
  3. Middle Englishnuricesource
  4. Englishnurse‘one who cares for the sick’ · today

nurs also in: nourishnurturenutrientnutrition

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin nūtriō; nūtrīx ‘to suckle, nourish; a nurse’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry nūtriō, p. 1230 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry NURSE, p. 397 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

nourishnurturenutrientnutrition

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