nurture

Meanings

Noun

• The act of nourishing or nursing; tender care
• That which nourishes; food; diet.
• The environmental influences that contribute to the development of an individual (as opposed to "nature").

Verb

• To nourish or nurse.
• To encourage, especially the growth or development of something.

Origin

• From Middle English norture, noriture, from Old French norriture, norreture, from Late Latin nutritura ("nourishment"), from Latin nutrire ("to nourish").