Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - nurse

~1 n 1 someone who is trained to look after people who are ill or injured, usually in a hospital  (The nurse is coming to give you an injection. | a student nurse (=someone learning to be a nurse) | Nurse Jones | a male nurse) 2 old-fashioned a woman employed to look after a young child; nanny (1)  (- see also wet nurse) ~2 v 1 »SICK PEOPLE« a) to look after someone who is ill or injured  (nursing an elderly relative | nurse sb back to health (=nurse someone until they are well again)) b) I usually in progressive) to work as a nurse  (She spent several years nursing in a military hospital.) 2 »YOUR FEELINGS« T not in passive to secretly have a feeling or idea in your mind for a long time, especially an angry feeling  (nurse a grudge/grievance/ambition etc)  (For years he had nursed a grievance against his former employer.) 3 »YOUR ILLNESS/INJURY« T not in passive to rest when you have an illness or injury so that it will get better  (Andrea was at home, nursing a cold.) 4 »TAKE CARE OF STH« to take special care of something especially during a difficult situation  (nurse sth through/along etc)  (Royton succeeded in nursing the company through a financially difficult period.) 5 »HOLD« to hold something carefully in your hands or arms close to your body  (a child nursing a kitten | Frank sat there nursing his glass of beer.) 6 »FEED A BABY« a) if a woman nurses a baby, she feeds it with milk from her breasts; breast­feed b) if a baby nurses, it sucks milk from its mother's breast