wetnurse
Definition
Noun: A woman employed to breastfeed and care for another woman's infant.
Usage
The term "wet nurse" refers specifically to the historical and professional role of a lactating woman who feeds a baby not her own. It is a compound noun, but the single word "wetnurse" is also used.
Examples
- In the 19th century, affluent families often employed a wetnurse for their newborn.
- The mother was unable to produce milk, so they hired a wetnurse.
Advanced Usage
- The role of a wetnurse was common before the widespread availability of safe infant formula.
- The practice of wet-nursing has a complex social and economic history.
Variants and Related Words
- Wet nurse (n): The more common two-word form with the same meaning.
- Wet-nurse (v, informal): To give excessive care or indulgence to someone.
- Dry nurse (n, historical): A nurse who cared for an infant but did not breastfeed it.
Synonyms
- Nurse (in the historical/archaic sense of a breastfeeding caretaker).
- Lactatrix (a rare, formal term for a wet nurse).
Antonyms
- Biological mother (in the specific context of breastfeeding).
- Formula feeding (the alternative method of infant nutrition).
Noun
-
a woman hired to suckle a child of someone else
