▪ I. ˈfostering, vbl. n.
[f. foster v. + -ing1.]
1. The action of the vb. foster in various senses.
| c 1230 Hali Meid. 33 Jn his fostrenge forð. c 1400 Rom. Rose 6113 In Gile & in Ipocrisie, That me engendred & yaf fostryng. 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys Introd. (Roxb.), Of Seynt Margrete..The byrthe, the fostryng and how she cam Fyrst to the feyth. 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV (an. 13) 225 b, For the long mainteinyng, and fosteryng of Quene Margarete, and her soonne Prince Edwarde. 1885 Athenæum 3 Oct. 441/2 The withdrawal of such official and quasi-official fostering as architecture already has. |
b. = fosterage 2. Obs. exc. Hist.
| 1596 Spenser State Irel. Wks. (Globe) 638/1 The chiefest cause of the bringing in of the Irish language, amongest them, was specially theyr fostring, and marrying with the Irish. 1612 Davies Why Ireland, etc. (1787) 135 In the opinion of this [the Irish] people fostering hath always been a stronger alliance than blood. 1827 Hallam Const. Hist. (1876) III. xviii. 354 The English settlers..connected themselves with them [Irish] by the national custom of fostering. |
2. concr. Food, nourishment, sustenance.
| c 1386 Chaucer Sompn. T. 137, I am a man of litel sustenaunce. My spirit hath his fostring in the Bible. |
▪ II. fostering, ppl. a.
(ˈfɒstərɪŋ)
[f. as prec. + -ing2.]
That fosters, in senses of the verb.
| 1568 T. Howell Arb. Amitie (1879) 35 The fethred foule..his fostring foode, with chirping bill he peckes. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 9 Bacchus and fost'ring Ceres, Pow'rs Divine. 1764 Goldsm. Trav. 368 Thou transitory flower, alike undone By proud contempt, or favour's fostering sun. 1795 Burns To Cunningham 4 The furrow'd, waving corn is seen Rejoice in fostering showers. 1840 Macaulay Ranke's Hist. Ess. 1851 II. 145 Edinburgh has owed less to..the fostering care of rulers. |
Hence ˈfosteringly adv.
| 1838 Carlyle Misc. (1857) IV. 205 Sheltered and fosteringly embowered. |