nurse
nurs
Nurse (noun) means a person trained to care for the sick or injured, typically working under a doctor. Example: “The nurse checked his blood pressure before the doctor arrived.”
noun
1
A person trained to care for the sick or injured, typically working under a doctor.
"The nurse checked his blood pressure before the doctor arrived."
"My sister trained for three years to become a nurse."
"The night nurse brought him a glass of water and a blanket."
2
A person who looks after young children, especially in a private household.
"A nurse looked after the children while their parents travelled."
"They hired a live-in nurse to look after their baby twins."
"When I was small, my nurse read me stories every night."
verb
1
To care for someone who is sick or injured.
"She nursed her husband back to health after his surgery."
"He spent a week nursing his sick daughter at home."
"Volunteers nursed the injured soldiers during the long winter."
2
To breastfeed a baby.
"The mother nursed her newborn in the quiet of the hospital room."
"Many mothers nurse their babies for the first year of life."
"She was nursing her son when the phone rang."
3
To drink something slowly to make it last, or to hold or nurture a feeling over time.
"He nursed a single beer for the whole evening."
"She had nursed a grudge against her old boss for years."
"She sat by the fire, nursing a cup of tea until it went cold."
How to use nurse
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone who cares for sick people professionally, or the act of caring for someone or something over time — including drinks and grudges.
Common pairings
nurse someone back to health
nurse a drink
nurse a grudge
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Word forms
- Plural
- nurses
- Third person singular
- nurses
- Past tense
- nursed
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The _____ checked his blood pressure before the doctor arrived.
Etymology
From Old French norrice, from Late Latin nutricia, based on Latin nutrix, "wet nurse", from nutrire, "to nourish".
Synonyms
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Rhymes for nurse
See all rhymes for 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.
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