1
as in healing
to attend to the needs and comforts of
willingly lent a hand to nurse his grandmother in her final years, helping her get from one room to the other and making sure she was warm
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2
as in suckling
to give milk to from the breast
a new mother's decision to nurse her baby
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3
as in having
to keep in one's mind or heart
he continues to nurse a tender affection for his first girlfriend
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4
as in spoiling
to treat with great or excessive care
nursed his sprained ankle for the rest of the week
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5
as in raising
to bring to maturity through care and education
as foster parents they accepted and nursed 16 needy children over the years
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6
as in promoting
to help the growth or development of
her teachers did much to nurse her literary talent
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7
as in conserving
to use or give out in stingy amounts
he carefully nursed his energy during the marathon so that he would have something left for the final stretch
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Cite this Entry
“Nursing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nursing. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.
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