nourish 

To nourish is to provide good food or other material in order for something to grow.

• Healthy food nourishes the body.
• Certain oils and lotions help nourish the skin.
• Plants are nourished by the soil, water, and sunlight.
• A person nourished on fear and hate will grow to be a threat to civil society.
• Art and music nourish the soul.

The word "nourishment" is a noun:

• The little boy wasn’t getting enough nourishment from his daily diet.
• A person who suffers from malnourishment has a poor diet. (The prefix "mal" means bad.)
• Most of our nourishment comes from fresh, local food.
• A steady habit of reading good books provides nourishment for your mind.

The words "nourished" and "nourishing" are used as adjectives:

• A nourishing breakfast is a good way to start your day.
• A nourished plant will produce strong roots.
• Physically fit and well-nourished people are more productive than people who don’t eat right or fail to exercise.
• A week in Jamaica was just the sort of nourishing vacation that I needed.

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Date of publication: December 20, 2016