a. Nutritious by force of habit; -- said of certain kinds of food. [ Obs. ] Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Physiol.) The opposition of nutrition; the failure of nutrition causing the breaking down of tissue. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physiol.) Exciting nutrition; said of the reflex influence by which the nutritional processes are either excited or modified. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Lack of nutrition; failure of nourishment. E. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not nutritious; not furnishing nourishment. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Innutritious. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Mal- + nutrition. ] (Physiol.) Faulty or imperfect nutrition; inadequate or unbalanced food intake. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Sp. nutria an otter, fr. L. lutra, lytra. ] The fur of the coypu. See Coypu. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. nutricatio, fr. nutricare, nutricari, to suckle, nourish, fr. nutrix a nurse. ] The act or manner of feeding. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. nutriens, p. pr. of nutrire. See Nourish. ] Nutritious; nourishing; promoting growth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. n. 1. Any substance which has nutritious qualities, i. e., which nourishes or promotes growth; a nutriment. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically: (Microbiology) A substance added to the growth medium of a microorganism to promote growth. [ PJC ]

v. To give nutrients to.
Syn. -- aliment, nourish. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. nutrimentum, fr. nutrire to nourish. See Nourish. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. That which nourishes; a nutrient; anything which promotes growth and repairs the natural waste of animal or vegetable life; food; aliment. [ 1913 Webster ]

The stomach returns what it has received, in strength and nutriment diffused into all parts of the body. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which promotes development or growth. [ 1913 Webster ]

Is not virtue in mankind
The nutriment that feeds the mind? Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Nutritious. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or connected with, nutrition; nutritious. [ Obs. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. nutrition. See Nutritious. ] 1. (Physiol.) In the broadest sense, a process or series of processes by which a living organism as a whole (or its component parts or organs) is maintained in its normal condition of life and growth. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In this wide sense it comprehends digestion, absorption, circulation, assimilation, etc., in fact all of the steps by which the nutritive matter of the food is fitted for incorporation with the different tissues, and the changes which it undergoes after its assimilation, prior to its excretion. See Metabolism. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Physiol.) In a more limited sense, the process by which the living tissues take up, from the blood, matters necessary either for their repair or for the performance of their healthy functions. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which nourishes; nutriment. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fixed like a plant, on his peculiar spot,
To draw nutrition, propagate, and rot. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to nutrition; as, nutritional changes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a specialist in the study of nutrition.
Syn. -- dietician, dietitian. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. nutricius, nutritius, from nutrix, -icis, a nurse, nutrire to nourish. See Nurse, Nourish. ] Nourishing; promoting growth, or preventing decay; alimental. -- Nu*tri"tious*ly, adv. -- Nu*tri"tious*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. nutritif. ] Of or pertaining to nutrition; as, the nutritive functions; having the quality of nourishing; nutritious; nutrimental; alimental; as, nutritive food or berries. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nutritive plasma. (Biol.) See Idioplasma. --
Nutritive polyp (Zool.), any one of the zooids of a compound hydroid, or coral, which has a mouth and digestive cavity. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Nu"tri*tive*ly, adv. -- Nu"tri*tive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. nutritura, fr. nutrire to nourish. ] Nutrition; nourishment. [ Obs. ] Harvey. [ 1913 Webster ]