Definition

Noun: 1. An infant or young child who is being nursed or cared for: Specifically refers to a baby or very young child in relation to the person (nurse, nanny, or caregiver) who is feeding and tending to it. 2. A person or thing that is cherished, nurtured, or fostered: Used figuratively to describe someone or something that is being carefully protected, supported, or developed.

Usage and Examples

• Literal meaning (infant):

  • The nursling was completely dependent on its wet nurse for nourishment.
  • The gentle nanny sang lullabies to her quiet nursling.

• Figurative meaning (cherished person/thing):

  • The young artist was the nursling of the prestigious academy, receiving all its resources and attention.
  • This innovative project is the nursling of the research department.

Advanced Usage

• As a term of endearment or status: The word can imply a sense of tenderness, vulnerability, and special care.
  • He was the nursling of the family, always shielded from hardship.
• In literary or formal contexts: "Nursling" is more common in literary, historical, or formal writing than in everyday conversation. It often carries a poetic or old-fashioned tone.
  • The poet described the fledgling nation as the nursling of liberty.

Variants and Related Words

• Nurse (verb/noun): To feed a baby from the breast; to care for the sick; or the person who performs these actions. This is the root word.
• Nursery (noun): A room for young children; a place where young plants are grown.
• Nursing (noun/adj): The profession or act of providing medical care; the act of breastfeeding.

Synonyms

• Infant: A very young child.
• Suckling: A baby or young animal that is still feeding on its mother's milk.
• Charge: A person or thing entrusted to the care of someone.
• Protégé: A person who is guided and supported by an older, more experienced person.
• Ward: A person, especially a minor, under the care of a guardian.

Notes on Meaning

• The core meaning is relational, emphasizing the connection between the one being cared for (the nursling) and the one providing care (the nurse).
• The figurative use extends this idea to concepts, projects, or talents that are being carefully cultivated.

Noun

1. an infant considered in relation to its nurse