to care for a sick or injured person until they recover
She nursed her grandfather through a long illness.
Volunteers came to nurse wounded animals at the shelter.
✦ Extended verbal use of the noun: ‘to act as a nurse’. First recorded in the 15th century.
to feed a baby with breast milk; to breastfeed
The mother sat quietly in the corner to nurse her baby.
Newborns need to be nursed every few hours.
✦ From the earlier noun sense ‘a woman who suckles an infant’.
to keep a feeling, thought, or desire for a long time, especially a negative one
She nursed a secret grudge for years.
He still nurses hopes of becoming an actor one day.
✦ Figurative extension from ‘care for’; attested since the 17th century.
to give careful attention to help something weak, small, or damaged grow stronger
The gardener nursed the wilted rose back to life.
She spent months nursing the startup idea before launching.
✦ Metaphorical extension of the caregiving sense, attested since the 18th century.
to drink a beverage very slowly so that it lasts a long time
He nursed a single beer for the whole evening.
She sat at the café, nursing her latte while reading a novel.
✦ Slang extension from ‘tend carefully’, recorded in American English in the early 20th century.
