wet-nurse
/'wetn :s/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To breastfeed and care for another woman's child: The action of a woman feeding an infant with her own breast milk, typically as a paid or formal service for a child that is not her own.
- To give suck to; to nurse: The act of suckling an infant.
Noun:
- A woman employed to breastfeed another's child: A woman hired to feed and care for an infant using her own breast milk.
Examples of Usage
Verb:
- In the 19th century, it was common for aristocratic women to have another woman wet-nurse their babies.
- She agreed to wet-nurse the orphaned infant.
Noun:
- The family hired a wet-nurse for their newborn.
- Historical records show that wet-nurses were often employed in royal households.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in historical or sociological contexts to discuss practices of childcare, class, and motherhood.
- As a verb, it can sometimes be used metaphorically to describe providing excessive care or indulgence.
- The manager shouldn't wet-nurse the new hires; they need to learn independently.
Variants and Related Words
- Wet nurse (noun): The more common modern spelling as two separate words.
- Wet-nursing (noun): The practice or profession of being a wet nurse.
- Wet-nursing was a vital profession before the invention of formula.
Synonyms
- Nurse (verb): To feed a baby at the breast.
- Suckle (verb): To feed from the breast.
- Breastfeed (verb): To feed a baby with milk from the breast.
- Nanny (noun, in a broader sense): A woman employed to care for children.
Related Phrasal Verbs/Compounds
(This term does not commonly form phrasal verbs. Its usage is primarily as a noun or verb as defined.)
Related Idioms
(There are no common idioms specifically using the term "wet-nurse.")
Verb
- give suck to
- The wetnurse suckled the infant
- You cannot nurse your baby in public in some places
Noun
- a woman hired to suckle a child of someone else