foster
/ˈfɔstə/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.33 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "foster parents"
- "a foster child"
- "We are a foster family."
- "Some fosters end up adopting."
- "Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The whilſt their owne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittiful."
- "Our company fosters an appreciation for the arts."
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈfɔstə/
- British English: /ˈfɒstə/