different between edify vs nourish

English

Alternative forms

• ædify (archaic)

Etymology

From Old French edifier (“to build, to edify”), from Latin aedificare (“build”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??d?fa?/

Verb

edify (third-person singular simple present edifies, present participle edifying, simple past and past participle edified)

1. (now rare) To build, construct.
2. (transitive) To instruct or improve morally or intellectually.
   • January 23, 1783, Edward Gibbon, letter to Dr. Priestley

     It does not appear probable that our dispute [about miracles] would either edify or enlighten the public.

   • 1813, The Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, Vol. VI, page 455

     That they ought to edify one another by maintaining and promoting the knowledge of truth.

   • 1641, Francis Bacon, A Wise and Moderate Discourse, Concerning Church-Affaires

     frustrate the best endeavours in the edifying of the church

Related terms

• edification
• edificator
• edifice
• edifier
• edifying

Translations

Anagrams

• deify

English

Etymology

From Middle English norischen, from Old French nouriss-, stem of one of the conjugated forms of norrir, from Latin nutrire (“to suckle, feed, foster, nourish, cherish, preserve, support”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, NYC, other accents without the "Hurry-furry" merger) IPA^(key): /?n??.??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?n??.??/, /?n?.??/
  • (hypercorrection) IPA^(key): /?n??.??/
• (accents without the hurry–furry merger)
• (accents with the hurry–furry merger)

Noun

nourish (plural nourishes)

1. (obsolete) A nurse.

Verb

nourish (third-person singular simple present nourishes, present participle nourishing, simple past and past participle nourished)

1. To feed and cause to grow; to supply with matter which increases bulk and/or supplies waste, and promotes health.
   • 1638, Francis Bacon, The Historie of Life and Death

     other carnivorous Animals are difficultly nourished by Plants alone

   • 1872, Thomas Bull, The Maternal Management of Children, in Health and Diseases

     Children nourished exclusively upon this simple food will be found to enjoy more perfect health

   • 1996, Alexander Frank Skutch, Orioles, Blackbirds, and Their Kin: A Natural History

     we have ample evidence that male Bobolinks do not shirk the labor of nourishing their families. In a four-year study, Wittenberger (1980, 1982) found that males delivered about 60 Bobolink percent of the food.

2. To support; to maintain; to be responsible for.
3. To encourage; to foster; to stimulate
   • 2003, Marilyn Byfield Paul, It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys

     When we slow down to pay attention to our own experience, we open ourselves to the love and richness that is here all the time. These are moments that can nourish your connection to your heart.

   • 2010, Colin L. Powell, My American Journey

     I thanked the Fort Leavenworth military historian, Colonel von Schlemmer, for nourishing my first hope to memorialize the Buffalo Soldiers

   to nourish rebellion

   to nourish virtues

4. To cherish; to comfort.
   • 1611, King James Version, James v. 5

     Ye have nourished your hearts.

5. (of a person) To educate or bring up; to nurture; to promote emotional, spiritual or other non-physical growth.
   • 1611, King James Version, 1 Timothy iv. 6

     Nourished up in the words of faith.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

6. To promote growth; to furnish nutriment.

7. (intransitive, obsolete) To gain nourishment.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)

Derived terms

• malnourish
• nourish a viper in one's bosom
• nourisher
• nourishing
• nourishment
• overnourish
• undernourish
• well-nourished

Related terms

• nurse
• nutriment
• nutrition

Translations

Further reading

• nourish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• nourish in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• nourish at OneLook Dictionary Search