Nourishment is the food, or the valuable components within food, that sustain growth, maintain the body’s tissues, and support health. The term embraces both the act of feeding and the nutrients delivered: protein for building and repair, carbohydrates and fats for energy, and the vitamins, minerals, and water that keep every system running. In medicine, adequate nourishment is recognised as a determinant of recovery, with malnourished patients healing more slowly, suffering more infections, and staying longer in hospital. In humanitarian work, nourishment is the objective of feeding programmes, measured through indicators like child growth and micronutrient status. The word’s breadth is its strength, covering everything from a mother’s milk to emergency therapeutic foods, united by the single purpose of keeping human bodies functioning.