tr.v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters.
- To bring up; nurture: bear and foster offspring. See synonyms at nurture.
- To promote the growth and development of; cultivate: detect and foster artistic talent. See synonyms at advance.
- To nurse; cherish: foster a secret hope.
- Providing parental care and nurture to children not related through legal or blood ties: foster parents; foster grandparents; a foster home.
- Receiving parental care and nurture from those not related to one through legal or blood ties: foster children.
[Middle English fostren, from Old English *fōstrian, to nourish, from fōstor, food, nourishing.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
