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nour·ish

(nûrĭsh)

tr.v. nour·ished, nour·ish·ing, nour·ish·es

1. To provide with food or other substances necessary for life and growth; feed.

2. To foster the development of; promote: "Athens was an imperial city, nourished by the tribute of subjects" (V. Gordon Childe).

3. To keep alive; maintain: nourish a hope.

[Middle English norishen, from Old French norrir, norriss-, from Vulgar Latin *nutrīre, from Latin nūtrīre; see (s)nāu- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

nourish·er n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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