nurse
/nɜːrs/
noun
Origin
Latin
nutrire — to feed, nourish, support
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person trained to care for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital.
- A person employed to take care of young children.
Literal older meaning
to nourish or foster
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
nourice
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word originally referred to a wet-nurse, a woman employed to breastfeed another's child. Over centuries, the scope expanded to include general caregiving, and eventually professionalized during the 19th century due to the influence of figures like Florence Nightingale.
Evolution
- Latin
nutrire
“to feed”
- Late Latin
nutricia
“nurse”
feminine agent noun
- Old French
norrice
“wet-nurse, nanny”
- Middle English
nurice
“one who cares for children”
- Modern English
nurse
“healthcare professional”
semantic narrowing and expansion
Connections
Word parts
nurse
root
nurture, care
Related across languages
French
nourrice
wet-nurse
Spanish
nutrir
to nourish
Explore next
Related to nurse
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.