Nourish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Nourished; p. pr. & vb. n. Nourishing.]
Etymology: [OE. norisen, norischen, OF. nurir, nurrir, norir, F. norrir, fr. L. nutrire. Cf. Nurse, Nutriment, and see -ish.]
1. To feed and cause to grow; to supply with matter which increases bulk or supplies waste, and promotes health; to furnish with nutriment. He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Is. xliv. 14.
2. To support; to maintain. Whiles I in Ireland nourish a mighty band. Shak.
3. To supply the means of support and increase to; to encourage; to foster; as, to nourish rebellion; to nourish the virtues. "Nourish their contentions." Hooker.
4. To cherish; to comfort. Ye have nourished your hearts. James v. 5.
2 more senses
5. To educate; to instruct; to bring up; to nurture; to promote the growth of in attainments. Chaucer. Nourished up in the words of faith. 1 Tim. iv. 6.
Syn. -- To cherish; feed; supply. See Nurture.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Nourish, v. i.
1. To promote growth; to furnish nutriment. Grains and roots nourish more than their leaves. Bacon.
2. To gain nourishment. [R.] Bacon.
Nourish, n.
A nurse. [Obs.] Hoolland.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for nourish; he lists it under cherish.
Where he writes about it:
To nourish is strictly to sustain and build up by food; to nurture includes careful mental and spiritual training, with something of love and tenderness; to foster is simply to maintain and care for, to bring up; a foster-child will be nourished, but may not be as tenderly nurtured or as lovingly cherished as if one's own. — from cherish