Definition of foster Foster

/fɑˈstɚ/ - [faster] - fos•ter

We found 23 definitions of foster from 6 different sources.

What does foster mean?

Noun
foster - United States songwriter whose songs embody the sentiment of the South before the American Civil War (1826-1864)
		Stephen Foster, Stephen Collins Foster
Verb fosters, fostering, fostered
foster - help develop, help grow; "nurture his talents"
		nurture
		encourage spur on; "His financial success encouraged him to look for a wife"
		patronage, keep going, patronise, patronize, support support by being a patron of
		serve well, serve put the ball into play; "It was Agassi's turn to serve"
foster - promote the growth of; "Foster our children's well-being and education"
		further
		further, encourage, boost, promote, advance spur on; "His financial success encouraged him to look for a wife"
foster - bring up under fosterage; of children
		parent, nurture, rear, bring up, raise stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds; "The horse reared in terror"
Adjective foster, fosterer, fosterest
foster - providing or receiving nurture or parental care though not related by blood or legal ties; "foster parent"; "foster child"; "foster home"; "surrogate father"
		surrogate

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foster (Noun)
A forester.
foster (Noun)
The care given to another; guardianship.
foster (Verb)
To nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child.
foster (Verb)
To cultivate and grow something.
foster (Verb)
To nurse or cherish something.
foster (Adjective)
Providing parental care to unrelated children.
foster (Adjective)
Receiving such care.
foster (Adjective)
Related by such care.

foster (v. t.)
To feed; to nourish; to support; to bring up.
foster (v. t.)
To cherish; to promote the growth of; to encourage; to sustain and promote; as, to foster genius.
foster (v. i.)
To be nourished or trained up together.
foster (v. t.)
Relating to nourishment; affording, receiving, or sharing nourishment or nurture; -- applied to father, mother, child, brother, etc., to indicate that the person so called stands in the relation of parent, child, brother, etc., as regards sustenance and nurture, but not by tie of blood.
foster (n.)
A forester.
foster (n.)
One who, or that which, fosters.

foster
fos′tėr, v.t. to bring up or nurse: to encourage.—ns. Fos′terāge, the act of fostering or nursing; Fos′ter-broth′er, a male child, fostered or brought up with another of different parents; Fos′ter-child, a child nursed or brought up by one who is not its parent; Fos′ter-daugh′ter; Fos′terer; Fos′ter-fa′ther, one who brings up a child in place of its father; Fos′terling, a foster-child; Fos′ter-moth′er, one who suckles a child not her own; Fos′ter-nurse (Shak.), a nurse; Fos′ter-par′ent, one who rears a child in the place of its parent; Fos′ter-sis′ter, one brought up as a sister by the same parents, but not a sister by birth; Fos′ter-son, one brought up as a son, though not a son by birth. [A.S. fóstrian, to nourish, fóstor, food.]
foster
fos′tėr, n. (Spens.) a forester