foster: [OE] The etymological notion underlying foster is of ‘giving food’. Indeed, the Old English verb fōstrian meant ‘feed, nourish’, and it was not until the 13th century that secondary metaphorical senses, such as ‘rear a child’ and ‘encourage, cultivate’, began to emerge. It was a derivative of the Old English noun fōstor ‘food’, which in turn was formed from the same Germanic source, *fōth-, as produced English food. => food
foster (v.)
Old English *fostrian "to supply with food, nourish, support," from fostor "food, nourishment, bringing up," from Proto-Germanic *fostra-, from extended form of PIE root *pa- "to protect; feed" (see food).
Meaning "to bring up a child with parental care" is from c. 1200; that of "to encourage or help grow" is early 13c. of things; 1560s of feelings, ideas, etc. Old English also had the word as an adjective meaning "in the same family but not related," in fostorfæder, fostorcild, fostormodoretc. Related: Fostered; fostering.
实用例句
1. The children were waiting for placement in a foster care home.
这些孩子在抚育院等待安置。
来自柯林斯例句
2. They suspected that Neville had traded secret information with Mr Foster.
他们怀疑内维尔和福斯特先生交换了秘密情报。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Mason was uninhibited in his questions about Foster's family.
