nurse
18 synonyms and 0 antonyms for nurse, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A person trained to care for the sick or injured, typically working under a doctor.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use nurse
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Old French norrice, from Late Latin nutricia, based on Latin nutrix, "wet nurse", from nutrire, "to nourish".
Full origin of nurse →Frequently asked questions
What does “nurse” mean?
The word “nurse” means a person trained to care for the sick or injured, typically working under a doctor. In plain terms, someone who cares for sick people professionally, or the act of caring for someone or something over time — including drinks and grudges.
How do you pronounce “nurse”?
“Nurse” is pronounced nurs (/nɝs/ in IPA).
How do you use “nurse” in a sentence?
Here is “nurse” used in a sentence: “The nurse checked his blood pressure before the doctor arrived.”
What part of speech is “nurse”?
Depending on how it is used, “nurse” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “nurse” come from?
The word “nurse” comes from Late Latin. From Old French norrice, from Late Latin nutricia, based on Latin nutrix, "wet nurse", from nutrire, "to nourish".
Is “nurse” a common word?
“Nurse” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “nurse” have?
“Nurse” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person trained to care for the sick or injured, typically working under a doctor.
What is the difference between a nurse and a doctor?
Both care for patients, but their roles differ. Doctors diagnose illness, decide treatment, and prescribe medicine. Nurses deliver much of the hands-on care — monitoring patients, giving medication, dressing wounds, and offering support — often carrying out and coordinating the plan a doctor sets, while spending far more time at the bedside.
What are the types of nurses?
Nursing covers many roles. Registered nurses provide general care, while nurse practitioners can diagnose and prescribe. Others specialise, such as paediatric nurses for children, midwives for childbirth, mental health nurses, and critical care nurses. Some work in communities as district or practice nurses rather than in hospitals.
What does a nurse do?
A nurse cares for people who are sick, injured, or recovering. Day to day this can mean checking vital signs, giving medicines and injections, cleaning and dressing wounds, helping with washing and eating, and comforting patients and families. Nurses also record progress and alert doctors when a patient's condition changes.