nurture

Noun

• helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community
  • they debated whether nature or nurture was more important
    

• the properties acquired as a consequence of the way you were treated as a child

Verb

• provide with nourishment
  • We sustained ourselves on bread and water
    
  • This kind of food is not nourishing for young children
    

• bring up
  • raise a family
    
  • bring up children
    

• help develop, help grow
  • nurture his talents
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  breeding , bringing up , fostering , fosterage , raising , rearing , upbringing , nourish , sustain , rear , raise , bring up , parent , foster