Nutrient
/ˈnjuːtriənt/noun
A substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and life.
Did you know?“Nutrient” ultimately comes from Latin *nutrīre*, meaning “to nourish,” the same root behind *nutrition* and *nutritious*, but it has no real occult or dark origin in the historical record.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*neu-
“to suckle, nourish”
Latin
Latin
nutrīre
“to feed, nourish”
Late Latin
Latin
nutriēns
“nourishing; feeding”
Middle French
French
nourrissant / nourrissant?
“nourishing”
16th Century
English
nutrient
“nourishing; that which nourishes”
Modern English
English
nutrient
“a substance that nourishes the body or supports life”