1
as in to nurse
to give milk to from the breast
wet-nursed the woman's baby until she was well enough to do it herself
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2
as in to spoil
to treat with great or excessive care
recent college grads quickly learn that employers won't wet-nurse them the way that their teachers did
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Recent Examples of wet-nurse
With nowhere else to turn, Karoline takes on the role of a wet-nurse.
—
Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2024
In von Horn’s pic, set in post WW1 Copenhagen, the focal point is Karoline (Sonne), a young pregnant factory worker, who takes on the job of a wet-nurse for the charismatic Dagmar (Dyrholm) in order to escape poverty.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 19 May 2024
With nowhere else to turn, Karoline takes on the role of a wet-nurse, and a strong connection forms between the two women.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 10 May 2024
In Von Horn’s pic, set in post WW1 Copenhagen, the focal point is Karoline (Sonne), a young pregnant factory worker, who takes on the job of a wet-nurse for the charismatic Dagmar (Dyrholm) in order to escape poverty.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 18 Jan. 2024
Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2024
In von Horn’s pic, set in post WW1 Copenhagen, the focal point is Karoline (Sonne), a young pregnant factory worker, who takes on the job of a wet-nurse for the charismatic Dagmar (Dyrholm) in order to escape poverty.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 19 May 2024
With nowhere else to turn, Karoline takes on the role of a wet-nurse, and a strong connection forms between the two women.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 10 May 2024
In Von Horn’s pic, set in post WW1 Copenhagen, the focal point is Karoline (Sonne), a young pregnant factory worker, who takes on the job of a wet-nurse for the charismatic Dagmar (Dyrholm) in order to escape poverty.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 18 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wet-nurse
Verb
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At this historical moment, middle- and upper-class European women were increasingly urged to nurse their own babies for growing fear that wet nurses—usually of lower social rank, and sometimes another race—contributed to infant mortality.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
13 Mar. 2025
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With Concerning Elbow Injury Rafael Devers Injury: Alex Cora Gives Concerning Update On Red Sox Star Devers has been nursing a shoulder injury which hampered him in 2024.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.—
Jack Fitzgerald,
Car and Driver,
13 Feb. 2023
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Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Verb
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Avoiding them is all but impossible in a world where water supplies are tainted and babies suckle on plastic bottles from their earliest days on earth.—
Jamie Ducharme,
TIME,
13 Feb. 2025
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Joan jumped on her leg in an attempt to get some and started to suckle the cheese.—
Nina Turner,
Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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While her older brother, Crown Prince Hussein, is the heir to the throne, Iman is not in the line of succession—and neither may her baby.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
24 Jan. 2025
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The sensitive child of the bunch doesn’t need to be babied.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
28 Nov. 2023
Verb
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Dana is really mothering to her fullest at the top of the hour.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
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Staff Picks: Our 10 Most Anticipated Albums of 2025 Beginning with Ethel Cain, mothers will be mothering all throughout the year.—
James Factora,
Them,
16 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wet-nurse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wet-nurse. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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