English → Latin
“nurse” in Latin
nūtrīxa child's nurse; wet nurse; milk mother; (anything that provides nutriment and support); (that which rears, originates, nūtrīculanurseassideōto sit by or near someone or something; to be or stand by one's side; to take care of, attend upon or tonūtrīciusthat suckles or nurses; nourishingaegrōtussick, ill, diseased, suffering:; sick, ill, diseased, suffering:nūtriōto suckle, breastfeed, nurse; to feednūtrīcōto suckle, nourish, rear; to sustain, supportalōto feed, to nourish, to nurture; to cultivate, to raise, to rear, etc. (as a child, an animal, etc.); to cause (a thing)amorlove, affection, devotion (for a person, one's family, one's country); strong and passionate longing for something, desifoveōto warm, keep warm; to nurture, cherish, foster; to foment, bathe
The English word nurse itself goes back to Latin nūtriō, through nūtrīcia.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
nurse s.
One who tends children, nutrix; nutricula (diminutively): to be nurse to anyone, nutricem esse alicui, aliquem nutricari: to have a nurse for a child, puero nutricem adhibere: the office or duty of a nurse, nutricationis munus (Gell., 12, 1): a nurse’s wages, nutricia, -orum, neuter (Ulp., Dig., 50, 13, 1, extr.); nutricis merces (after Cic., ad Div., 16, 14, 1, medici merces).
One who tends the sick, cujus curae custodiaeque (aegrotus) aliquis mandatus est (Plin., Ep., 1, 19, init.): assidens (Plin., Ep., 1, 22, 11): to be a nurse to anyone, alicui or alicujus valetudini assidere (see Sick-bed).
nurse v.
PROP., nutrire (general term): mammis nutrire: nutricare (Plaut.): to nurse her own child, aliquem lacte suo nutrire (Gell., 12, 1; i. e., not to employ a wet-nurse): aliquem uberibus alere (with milk, not with farinaceous or any other food; of women and animals). Every mother nurses her own child, sua quemque mater uberibus alit (Tac., Germ., 20): alere (to support existence by any means). Figuratively, nutrire (e.g., amorem, Ov.): sustentare et alere: alere et sustentare (cherish and support): fovere (cherish; e.g., spem; parvulos): augere (increase).
To tend a sick person, nutrire (aegrum, Cels.): aegrotum curare: aegroto assidere.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for nurse?
- The usual Latin words for “nurse” are nūtrīx, nūtrīcula, assideō; also nūtrīcius, aegrōtus, nūtriō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.