French word

nourrice

Pronunciation

IPA/nuʁis/

Meaning

  • feminine nounbabysitter

Example

Peux-tu appeler la nourrice ce soir ?

Can you call the babysitter tonight?

Illustration for nourrice (babysitter)

More examples

La nourrice arrive ce matin.

The nanny arrives this morning.

Core concept

A female caregiver who feeds, settles, and watches over a child as part of daily care.

Common phrases

  • appeler la nourrice

    call the nanny

  • engager une nourrice

    hire a nanny

  • la nourrice de confiance

    the trusted nanny

Similar words

nounou: An informal term for someone who looks after children in the home.
baby-sitter: A person hired to care for children for set hours, often at night.
assistante maternelle: A registered childcare professional who cares for infants in their own home.

Definition in French

Personne, généralement une femme, qui garde et s'occupe régulièrement d'un enfant en lui donnant à manger, en le couchant et en veillant sur lui.

Word origin

French nourrice comes through Old French nourrice from Latin nutricia, a feminine form related to nutrire, and shares this origin with English nurse.

Usage tips

  • Nourrice sounds historical or formal for a childcare worker today; nounou, baby-sitter, or assistante maternelle is more usual in many modern contexts.

Other meanings

  • nannynoun
  • wet nursenoun

Related words

  • nourrirfeedverb
  • nourrissoninfantnoun

Word lists with this word