adj
Meaning 1
Providing parental care to children not related to oneself.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- foster parents
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
foster
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfɒs.tə/
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US: /ˈfɔ.stɚ/ without the cot–caught merger
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Canada, General-American, cot-caught-merger: /ˈfɑ.stɚ/
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California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australian: /ˈfɔs.tə/
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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New-Zealand: /ˈfɒs.tə/
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New-Zealand: [ˈfɔ̟s.tə]
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rhymes with -ɒstə(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: F AA1 S T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Receiving such care.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- a foster child
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Related by such care.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- We are a foster family.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 4
An English surname originating as an occupation, variant of Forster.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 5
A male given name transferred from the surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 6
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
A former settlement in San Diego County, California.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 7
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Warren County, Indiana.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 8
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Bracken County, Kentucky.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 9
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
A township and unincorporated community therein, in Big Stone County, Minnesota.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 10
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
A village in Bates County, Missouri; named for Ohio governor Charles Foster.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 11
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
A village in Pierce County, Nebraska; named for George Foster, original owner of town's site.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 12
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
A town in Garvin County, Oklahoma.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 13
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
An unincorporated community partly in Sweet Home, Linn County, Oregon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 14
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
A town in Providence County, Rhode Island; named for Rhode Island statesman Theodore Foster.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 15
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
A town in Clark County, Wisconsin.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 16
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
An unincorporated community in the town of Clear Creek, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 17
A placename
A number of places in the United States:
A number of other townships, including in Illinois (2), Michigan, Minnesota (1 more), Pennsylvania (3), and South Dakota, listed under Foster Township.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 18
A placename
A village in the town of Brome Lake, Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality, southern Quebec, Canada.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 19
A placename
A town in South Gippsland Shire, south-east Victoria, Australia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 20
A placename
Ellipsis of Foster County.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 21
A foster parent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, informal
Examples
- Some fosters end up adopting.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 22
The care given to another; guardianship.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 23
A forester.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 24
To nurture or bring up offspring, or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 25
To promote the development of something; to cultivate and grow a thing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- Our company fosters an appreciation for the arts.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 26
To nurse or cherish something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 27
To be nurtured or trained up together.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 28
providing or receiving nurture or parental care though not related by blood or legal ties
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- foster parent
- foster child
- foster home
- surrogate father
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: surrogate
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 29
United States songwriter whose songs embody the sentiment of the South before the American Civil War (1826-1864)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Stephen Foster, Stephen Collins Foster
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: songwriter, songster, ballad maker
verb
Meaning 30
help develop, help grow
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- nurture his talents
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: nurture
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: encourage
Narrower terms: patronize, patronise, patronage, support, keep going, serve, serve well
verb
Meaning 31
bring up under fosterage; of children
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: rear, raise, bring up, nurture, parent
verb
Meaning 32
promote the growth of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- Foster our children's well-being and education
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: further
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: promote, advance, boost, further, encourage
History
Etymology
From Middle English foster, from Old English fōstor (“food, sustenance”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic *fōstrą (“nourishment, food”). Cognate with Middle Dutch voester (“nursemaid”), Middle Low German vôster (“food”), Old Norse fóstr (“nurturing, education, alimony, child support”), Danish foster (“fetus”), Swedish foster (“fetus”).
English surname, reduced from Forster; also from the noun foster.
Across languages
Translations
130 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Dutch: voedster — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Finnish: kasvatus- — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Finnish: kasvatti- — providing parental care to unrelated children
- French: adoptant — providing parental care to unrelated children
- French: adoptif — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Galician: adoptivo — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Georgian: ნაშვილები (našvilebi) — providing parental care to unrelated children
- German: Pflege- — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Greek: θετός (thetós) — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Hebrew: אָמְנָה (omná) — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Italian: affidatario — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Italian: adottivo — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Occitan: adoptiu — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Portuguese: adotivo — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Portuguese: adoptivo — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Romanian: adoptiv — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Russian: приёмный (prijómnyj) — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Spanish: adoptivo — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Swedish: adoptera — providing parental care to unrelated children
- Turkish: yetiştiren — providing parental care to unrelated children
- French: adoptif — receiving such care
- Galician: adoptado — receiving such care
- Galician: adoptivo — receiving such care
- Georgian: ნაშვილები (našvilebi) — receiving such care
- German: Pflege- — receiving such care
- Greek: θετός (thetós) — receiving such care
- Hungarian: nevelt — receiving such care
- Italian: adottivo — receiving such care
- Russian: приёмный (prijómnyj) — receiving such care
- Spanish: adoptivo — receiving such care
- Spanish: adoptado — receiving such care
- Turkish: evlatlık — receiving such care
- French: adoptif — related by such care
- Bulgarian: отглеждам (otgleždam) — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Bulgarian: грижа се за (griža se za) — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Catalan: criar — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Czech: pečovat — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Danish: opfostre — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Dutch: verzorgen — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Dutch: opvoeden — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Finnish: kasvattaa — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- French: élever — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- French: adopter — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Galician: criar — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Galician: afillar — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Galician: adoptar — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Georgian: აღზრდა (aɣzrda) — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- German: (in Pflege) aufziehen — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- German: (in Pflege) großziehen — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Greek: ανατρέφω (anatréfo) — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Hungarian: istápol — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Hungarian: felnevel — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Irish: altramaigh — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Irish: máithrigh — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Irish: oil — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Italian: allevare — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Italian: adottare — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Italian: nutrire — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Italian: rafforzare — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Italian: favorire — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Northern Kurdish: xwedî kirin — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Northern Kurdish: mezin kirin — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Macedonian: во́спита (vóspita) — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Macedonian: воспи́тува (vospítuva) — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Māori: taurima — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Māori: whāngai — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Middle English: fostren — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Occitan: abalir — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Occitan: noirir — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Portuguese: criar — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Russian: воспи́тывать (vospítyvatʹ) — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Scottish Gaelic: altraim — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Spanish: acoger — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Spanish: cobijar — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Swedish: uppfostra — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Turkish: yetiştirmek — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Welsh: maethu — to nurture or bring up offspring; or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child
- Bulgarian: отглеждам (otgleždam) — to cultivate and grow something
- Catalan: cultivar — to cultivate and grow something
- Chinese Mandarin: 營造 /营造 (yíng zào) — to cultivate and grow something
- Dutch: kweken — to cultivate and grow something
- Dutch: aanmoedigen — to cultivate and grow something
- Finnish: vaalia — to cultivate and grow something
- French: cultiver — to cultivate and grow something
- Georgian: წახალისება (c̣axaliseba) — to cultivate and grow something
- Georgian: წაქეზება (c̣akezeba) — to cultivate and grow something
- German: pflegen — to cultivate and grow something
- Greek: μεγαλώνω (megalóno) — to cultivate and grow something
- Italian: coltivare — to cultivate and grow something
- Italian: accrescere — to cultivate and grow something
- Italian: promuovere — to cultivate and grow something
- Northern Kurdish: xwedî kirin — to cultivate and grow something
- Northern Kurdish: mezin kirin — to cultivate and grow something
- Macedonian: одгле́дува (odgléduva) — to cultivate and grow something
- Macedonian: о́дгледа (ódgleda) — to cultivate and grow something
- Māori: ahu — to cultivate and grow something
- Māori: ahuahu — to cultivate and grow something
- Middle English: fostren — to cultivate and grow something
- Occitan: cultivar — to cultivate and grow something
- Portuguese: cultivar — to cultivate and grow something
- Russian: поощря́ть (pooščrjátʹ) — to cultivate and grow something
- Spanish: alentar — to cultivate and grow something
- Turkish: beslemek — to cultivate and grow something
- Turkish: yetiştirmek — to cultivate and grow something
- Turkish: büyütmek — to cultivate and grow something
- Bulgarian: питая (pitaja) — to nurse or cherish something
- Finnish: vaalia — to nurse or cherish something
- Finnish: hoivata — to nurse or cherish something
- Georgian: ხელის გულზე ტარება (xelis gulze ṭareba) — to nurse or cherish something
- Georgian: ლოლიაობა (loliaoba) — to nurse or cherish something
- Georgian: სათუთად მოვლა (satutad movla) — to nurse or cherish something
- German: nähren — to nurse or cherish something
- German: fördern — to nurse or cherish something
- Greek: ανατρέφω (anatréfo) — to nurse or cherish something
- Italian: nutrire — to nurse or cherish something
- Italian: accudire — to nurse or cherish something
- Italian: curare — to nurse or cherish something
- Italian: sostenere — to nurse or cherish something
- Italian: incoraggiare — to nurse or cherish something
- Northern Kurdish: xwedî kirin — to nurse or cherish something
- Northern Kurdish: mezin kirin — to nurse or cherish something
- Macedonian: не́гува (néguva) — to nurse or cherish something
- Māori: kumanu — to nurse or cherish something
- Māori: rauhī — to nurse or cherish something
- Portuguese: nutrir — to nurse or cherish something
- Portuguese: cuidar — to nurse or cherish something
- Russian: леле́ять (leléjatʹ) — to nurse or cherish something
- Russian: хо́лить (xólitʹ) — to nurse or cherish something
- Scottish Gaelic: altraim — to nurse or cherish something
- Turkish: beslemek — to nurse or cherish something
Real reading context