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foster

fos·ter

UK/ˈfɒstə/ US/ˈfɔstə/ common informal
verb (3) noun (1) adjective (1)

verb

1.

promote the growth of

  • “Foster our children”
Synonyms
2.

bring up under fosterage; of children

3.

help develop, help grow

  • “nurture his talents”
Synonyms

noun

1.

United States songwriter whose songs embody the sentiment of the South before the American Civil War (1826-1864)

Synonyms

adjective

1.

providing or receiving nurture or parental care though not related by blood or legal ties

  • “foster parent”
  • “foster child”
  • “foster home”
  • “surrogate father”
Synonyms
Similar

Origin

From Middle English foster, from Old English fōstor (“food, sustenance”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic *fōstrą (“nourishment, food”). Cognate with Middle Dutch voester (“nursemaid”), Middle Low German vôster (“food”), Old Norse fóstr (“nurturing, education, alimony, child support”), Danish foster (“fetus”), Swedish foster (“fetus”).

Phrases

  • foster brother
  • foster care
  • foster child
  • Foster County
  • foster fail
  • foster family
  • foster father
  • foster home
  • Foster Kennedy syndrome
  • foster mother
  • Foster North
  • Mount Foster

Related words

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.