nourish

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To provide with food or other substances necessary for life and growth; feed.
2. v. To foster the development of; promote: "Athens was an imperial city, nourished by the tribute of subjects” ( V. Gordon Childe).
3. v. To keep alive; maintain: nourish a hope.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To nurse; suckle; bring up, as a child.
2. To feed; supply (a living or organized body, animal or vegetable) with the material required to repair the waste accompanying the vital processes and to promote growth; supply with nutriment.
3. To promote the growth or development of in any way; foster; cherish.
4. To support; maintain, in a general sense; supply the means of support and increase to; encourage.
5. To bring up; educate; instruct.
6. To serve to promote growth; be nutritious.
7. To gain nourishment.

Wiktionary

1. n. obsolete A nurse.
2. v. To feed and cause to grow; to supply with matter which increases bulk or supplies waste, and promotes health; to furnish with nutriment.
3. v. To support; to maintain.
4. v. To supply the means of support and increase to; to encourage; to foster; as, to nourish rebellion; to nourish the virtues.
5. v. To cherish; to comfort.
6. v. To educate; to instruct; to bring up; to nurture; to promote the growth of in attainments.
7. v. To promote growth; to furnish nutriment.
8. v. To gain nourishment.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To feed and cause to grow; to supply with matter which increases bulk or supplies waste, and promotes health; to furnish with nutriment.
2. v. To support; to maintain.
3. v. To supply the means of support and increase to; to encourage; to foster
4. v. To cherish; to comfort.
5. v. To educate; to instruct; to bring up; to nurture; to promote the growth of in attainments.
6. v. To promote growth; to furnish nutriment.
7. v. rare To gain nourishment.
8. n. obsolete A nurse.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. provide with nourishment
2. v. give nourishment to