Quick Definition
ἐκτρέφω v. I nourish, nurture, bring up
Strong's Definition
from 1537 and 5142; to rear up to maturity, i.e. (genitive case) to cherish or train
KJV Usage: bring up, nourish
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | τρέφω
23.6 · Physiological Processes and States · Eat, Drink
to provide food for, to give food to someone to eat to provide food for, with the implication of a considerable period of time and the food being adequate nourishment
35.51 · Help, Care For · Rear, Bring Up
to raise, to rear, to bring up to raise a child to maturity by providing for physical and psychological needs To raise or bring up children may be expressed in a number of different ways, for example, ‘to give food to children,’ ‘to take care of children,’ ‘to be a parent to children,’ ‘to cause a child to become an adult,’ or ‘to make a child become like oneself.’
1 It is possible that ἐκτρέφω[a] is somewhat more emphatic in meaning than τρέφω[a], but this cannot be determined from existing contexts. 2 There may very well be subtle differences of meaning in the series in 35.51, but there is no direct contextual evidence to support significant distinctions in meaning.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐκ-τρέφω ; fr. Aeschyl. down; 1. fo nourish up to maturity; then univ. to nourish: τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σάρκα, Eph. vy. 29. 2. to nurture, bring up: τὰ τέκνα, Eph. vi. 4." [ἔκτρομος. adj., (cf. expoBos), trembling exceedingly, exceedingly terrified : Heb. xii. 21 Tr mrg. WH mrg., after eodd. Sin. and Clarom. (al. ἔντρομος, 4. v-). Not found elsewhere.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐκτρέφω ektrephō 2x
to nourish, promote health and strength, Eph. 5:29; to bring up, educate, Eph. 6:4*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἐκ-τρέφω
[in LXX for גָּדַל, etc. ;]
prop., of children, to nurture, bring up: Eph 6:4.
to nourish: Eph 5:29.†
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐκτρέφω (ektrephō) — to nourish/rear. ἐκτρέφω, bring up from childhood, rear up, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐκτεθραμμένοι σκύμνοι λεόντων true-bred.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of plants, τὸ ἐκτρέφον τὴν ῥίζαν [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, rear up for oneself, τινά [Refs]; ἤνεγκα κἀξέσωσα κἀξεθρεψάμην, says the παιδαγωγός, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, εἴ σοί τις υἱός ἐστιν ἐκτεθραμμένος [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. middle, of pregnant animals, nourish, [ζῷα] μεγάλα ἐντὸς ἐκθρέψωνται [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—active, bring to birth, τὰ κυήματα [Refs 4th c.BC+]