1. The profession of a nurse
   "She chose nursing as her career after volunteering at a local hospital"
    
2. The work of caring for the sick, injured or infirm
   "Her dedication to nursing inspired many of her colleagues"
    
3. Nourishing at the breast
   "The mother chose nursing for her newborn";
   - breast feeding

1. Serve as a nurse; care for sick or handicapped people
   "She nursed her elderly mother back to health after the surgery"
    
2. (medicine) try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
   "He nursed his cold with Chinese herbs"
    
3. Feed a baby with milk directly from the breast
   "You cannot nurse your baby in public in some places"; "She wet-nursed the orphaned infant";
   - breastfeed, suckle, wet-nurse, give suck [archaic]
    
4. Treat carefully
   "He nursed his injured back by lying in bed several hours every afternoon"; "He nursed the flowers in his garden and fertilized them regularly"
    
5. Maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
   "nurse a resentment";
   - harbor [N. Amer], harbour [Brit, Cdn], hold, entertain, bear

Derived forms: nursings

Type of: aid, attention, care, care for, do by [Brit], experience, feed, feel, give, give care, handle, health profession, infant feeding, tending, treat

Encyclopedia: Nursing