Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Nutrient

Nutrient , adjective

[Latin nutriens, present participle of nutrire. See Nourish.]

Nutritious; nourishing; promoting growth.

Nutrient , noun

1.
Any substance which has nutritious qualities, i. e., which nourishes or promotes growth; a nutriment.
2.
(Microbiology) A substance added to the growth medium of a microorganism to promote growth.