Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Nurture \Nur"ture\, n. [OE. norture, noriture, OF. norriture,
   norreture, F. nourriture, fr. L. nutritura a nursing,
   suckling. See {Nourish}.]
   1. The act of nourishing or nursing; thender care; education;
      training.

            A man neither by nature nor by nurture wise.
                                                  --Milton.

   2. That which nourishes; food; diet. --Spenser.

Nurture \Nur"ture\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Nurtured}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Nurturing}.]
   1. To feed; to nourish.

   2. To educate; to bring or train up.

            He was nurtured where he had been born. --Sir H.
                                                  Wotton.

   Syn: To nourish; nurse; cherish; bring up; educate; tend.

   Usage: To {Nurture}, {Nourish}, {Cherish}. Nourish denotes to
          supply with food, or cause to grow; as, to nourish a
          plant, to nourish rebellion. To nurture is to train up
          with a fostering care, like that of a mother; as, to
          nurture into strength; to nurture in sound principles.
          To cherish is to hold and treat as dear; as, to
          cherish hopes or affections.

Source : WordNet®

nurture
     n 1: the properties acquired as a consequence of the way you were
          treated as a child [syn: {raising}, {rearing}]
     2: raising someone to be an accepted member of the community;
        "they debated whether nature or nurture was more
        important" [syn: {breeding}, {bringing up}, {fostering}, {fosterage},
         {raising}, {rearing}, {upbringing}]
     v 1: help develop, help grow; "nurture his talents" [syn: {foster}]
     2: bring up; "raise a family"; "bring up children" [syn: {rear},
         {raise}, {bring up}, {parent}]
     3: provide with nourishment; "We sustained ourselves on bread
        and water"; "This kind of food is not nourishing for young
        children" [syn: {nourish}, {sustain}]