nourice
Very Rare / ArchaicPoetic, Historical, Archaic
Definition
Meaning
A nurse, especially a wet nurse.
An archaic or historical term for a woman employed to breastfeed and care for another's child; occasionally used poetically or in historical contexts to refer to any nurturing source or caretaker.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is now almost entirely obsolete in modern English, surviving mainly in historical texts, dialect studies, or deliberate archaisms in poetry. It carries strong connotations of pre-modern childcare and class structure.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally archaic in both varieties. No significant regional difference in usage, as the word has fallen out of use entirely.
Connotations
Evokes a medieval or early modern historical setting.
Frequency
Frequency is effectively zero in contemporary corpora for both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Nourice] + of + [child's name]The + [adjective] + nouriceVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None in contemporary use.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Only in historical, literary, or philological studies.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Not used in modern technical contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The lady sought to nourice the infant lord.
American English
- She was hired to nourice the planter's child.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- 'Nourice' is a very old word for nurse.
- In the old story, the prince was raised by a nourice.
- The historical record mentioned a 'wet nourice' employed by the noble family.
- The poet invoked the 'ancient nourice of the forest' as a metaphor for the land's bounty.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'nourish' + 'nurse'. A NOURICE was someone who NOURISHED a child.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOURCE OF SUSTENANCE IS A MOTHER (The land was the nourice of the people).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with modern 'nurse' (медсестра). This is a specific, archaic term for a wet nurse (кормилица).
Common Mistakes
- Using it in modern contexts.
- Misspelling as 'nourish'.
- Pronouncing it with a /ʃ/ sound.
Practice
Quiz
'Nourice' is best described as:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is an obsolete term. Use 'wet nurse' for the historical role or 'nanny'/'childminder' for modern childcare.
Historically, 'nourice' specifically meant a wet nurse. 'Nurse' had a broader meaning of caretaker, which has since evolved to its modern medical sense.
Only in historical documents, literature set in the past (like Chaucer or Shakespearean-era texts), or in academic writing about historical social practices.
It is pronounced like 'nurr-iss' (/ˈnɜːrɪs/ in AmE, /ˈnʌrɪs/ in BrE), rhyming with 'furnace'.