nutrition (n.)

1550s, "act or process by which organisms absorb their proper food into their systems and build it into living tissue," from Old French nutrition (14c.) and directly from Latin nutritionem (nominative nutritio) "a nourishing," noun of action from past-participle stem of nutrire "to nourish, suckle, feed," from PIE *nu-tri-, suffixed form (with feminine agent suffix) of *(s)nau- "to swim, flow, let flow," hence "to suckle," extended form of root *sna- "to swim." Meaning "that which nourishes, nutriment" is from c. 1600. Related: Nutritional.