wet nurse

¹ American  

noun

1. a woman hired to suckle another's infant.

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wet-nurse ² American  

[wet-nurs] / ˈwɛtˌnɜrs /

verb (used with object)

wet-nursed, wet-nursing

1. to act as a wet nurse to (an infant).

2. to give excessive care or attention to; treat as if helpless.

   The warden is accused of wet-nursing his prisoners.

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wet nurse British  

noun

1. a woman hired to suckle the child of another

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verb

1. to act as a wet nurse to (a child)

2. informal to attend with great devotion

Etymology

Origin of wet nurse¹

First recorded in 1610–20

Origin of wet-nurse²

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

A wet nurse is a woman who is lactating—producing breast milk—and feeds another woman’s baby.

From Literature

These alternatives included milk from human wet nurses and animal milk.

From Scientific American

It is something I saw my mum do when she took care of a baby whose mother had died, until she could find a wet nurse.

From Literature

One is Ina, a blind and aged wet nurse who lived in a cave for decades.

From New York Times

For millennia, poor women have found work as wet nurses, endangering their own infants to earn money for their families.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assistant
• attendant
• medic
• registered nurse
• therapist