nurture

  • verb 1 rear and encourage the development of (a child). 2 cherish (a hope, belief, or ambition).

  • noun 1 the action or process of nurturing. 2 upbringing, education, and environment as a factor determining personality. Often contrasted with NATURE.

  — ORIGIN Old French noureture ‘nourishment’, from Latin nutrire ‘feed, cherish’.

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