Definition of 'foster'
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense fosters
, present participle fostering
, past tense, past participle fostered
1.
See foster parent
2. verb
If you foster a child, you take it into your family for a period of time, without becoming its legal parent.
3. verb
To foster something such as an activity or idea means to help it to develop.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
foster
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
Word Frequency
foster in British English
adjective
5. (in combination)
indicating relationship through fostering and not through birth
foster mother
foster child
6. (in combination)
of or involved in the rearing of a child by persons other than the child's natural
or adopted parents
foster home
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
fosterer (ˈfosterer) noun
fostering (ˈfostering)
noun
Word origin
Old English fōstrian to feed, from fōstor foodWord Frequency
Foster in British English
noun
1.
Dame Arlene (Isabel). born 1970, Northern Irish politician; leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (2015–2021); First Minister of Northern Ireland (2016–17, 2020–2021)
2.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
foster in American English
verb transitive
1.
to bring up with care; rear
adjective
4.
having the standing of a specified member of the family, though not by birth or adoption, and giving,
receiving, or sharing the care appropriate to that standing
foster parent, foster brother
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
fosterer (ˈfosterer)
noun
Word origin
ME fostren < OE fostrian, to nourish, bring up < fostor, food, nourishment < base of foda, foodWord Frequency
foster in American English
(ˈfɔstər, ˈfɑstər)
transitive verb
SYNONYMS 1. favor, forward, advance; foment, instigate. 2. nurse, nourish, sustain, support, maintain. 3. See cherish.ANTONYMS 1. discourage.2.
to bring up, raise, or rear, as a foster child
3.
to care for or cherish
4. Brit
to place (a child) in a foster home
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
fosterer noun
fosteringly
adverb
Word origin
[bef. 1000; ME; OE fōstor nourishment, fōstrian to nourish; c. ON fōstr; akin to food]Word Frequency
Foster in American English
(ˈfɔstər, ˈfɑstər)
noun
a male given name
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Examples of 'foster' in a sentence
foster
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In other languages
foster
British English: foster
/ˈfɒstə/ VERB
If you foster a child, you take him or her into your family as a foster child.
- American English: foster /ˈfɔstər/
- Arabic: يَتَبَنَّى يتبنى
- Brazilian Portuguese: criar o filho de alguém
- Chinese: 养育
- Croatian: njegovati
- Czech: vzít do opatrování
- Danish: opfostre
- Dutch: in het gezin opnemen
- European Spanish: colocar en una familia de acogida
- Finnish: kasvattaa kasvattilasta
- French: prendre en placement
- German: ein Kind in Pflege nehmen
- Greek: ανατρέφω
- Italian: prendere in affidamento
- Japanese: 養育する
- Korean: 위탁 양육하다
- Norwegian: fostre
- Polish: wychować
- European Portuguese: criar o filho de alguém
- Romanian: a adopta
- Russian: воспитывать
- Latin American Spanish: colocar en una familia de acogida
- Swedish: fostra
- Thai: เลี้ยงดู, อุปถัมภ์
- Turkish: koruyucu aile olmak
- Ukrainian: всиновлювати
- Vietnamese: nuôi dưỡng
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Definition of foster from the Collins English Dictionary
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