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• dry nurse
  dry nurse

  noun

  a nurse who takes care of but does not breast-feed another's infant.
• dry-nurse
  dry-nurse

  verb (used with object)

  to act as a dry nurse to.

dry nurse

¹ American  

noun

1. a nurse who takes care of but does not breast-feed another's infant.

2. Informal. a person who tutors and guides an inexperienced person at work.

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dry-nurse ² American  

[drahy-nurs] / ˈdraɪˌnɜrs /

verb (used with object)

dry-nursed, dry-nursing

1. to act as a dry nurse to.

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dry nurse British  

noun

1. a nurse who cares for a child without suckling it Compare wet nurse

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verb

1. to care for (a baby or young child) without suckling

Etymology

Origin of dry nurse¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

Origin of dry-nurse²

First recorded in 1575–85

Example Sentences

You will dry nurse him till some day he is able to understand you.

From Letters of Two Brides by Balzac, Honoré de

In answer to this, Archie reminded his friend that on this occasion Jack Stuart would have the advantage of an excellent dry nurse, acknowledged to do very great on such occasions.

From The Claverings by Trollope, Anthony

"Clap on here, Peg," cried the woman to another, "and let's have this little midshipmite; I wants a baby to dry nurse."

From Peter Simple; and, The Three Cutters, Vol. 1-2 by Marryat, Frederick

He and his dry nurse, Baker, who'd promptly arrived from the bunk house, stumped straight back to the assay office with Macartney to fuss over the men who'd been killed.

From The La Chance Mine Mystery by Gage, George W.

You must stop the nursing, and keep the woman here as a dry nurse, in order that she may not go away to carry the disease elsewhere.

From Damaged Goods; the great play "Les avaries" by Brieux, novelized with the approval of the author by Brieux, Eugène

Related Words

• cradle
• feed
• nourish