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nurse — a person trained to care for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a person trained to care for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital

Pronunciation (IPA): /nɜːrs/

Example Sentences

  • The nurse was so busy that she forgot to eat her lunch until 4 PM.
  • My grandmother used to nurse injured birds back to health in her backyard.
  • He's been nursing that same cup of coffee for two hours just to stay in the cafe.

nurse

NOUN

[/nɜːrs/]

a person trained to care for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/nɜːrs/
🇬🇧 UK/nɜːs/

🌳Etymology

Rootnurs-
Suffix--e

Origin

The word nurse derives from Middle French 'nourice', which itself comes from Latin 'nutricius' meaning 'nourishing' or 'nursing'. Originally denoting a wet nurse or caregiver for infants, the term evolved over time to encompass the modern profession of caring for the sick and injured.

Breakdown

nourice (Middle French) from Latin nutricius, composed of nutri- (to nourish, feed) + -cius (agent suffix). The semantic shift from childcare provider to medical professional reflects the broadening of caregiving duties in healthcare contexts.

🎵Rhyme

curse
verse
worse
purse

🔗Collocations

registered nurse
head nurse
nurse someone back to health
school nurse
night nurse
nurse a drink

📝Examples

“The nurse was so busy that she forgot to eat her lunch until 4 PM.”

“My grandmother used to nurse injured birds back to health in her backyard.”

😄 Fun example

“He's been nursing that same cup of coffee for two hours just to stay in the cafe.”

😄 Fun example

“The school nurse had a magic touch - even fake stomachaches felt better after visiting her.”

📚Related Words

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