nature
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also Nature
Contents |
English [edit]
Alternative forms [edit]
- natuer (obsolete)
Etymology [edit]
From Middle English natur, nature, from Old French nature, from Latin natura (“birth, origin, natural constitution or quality”), future participle from perfect passive participle (g)natus (born), from deponent verb (g)nasci (“to be born, originate”) + future participle suffix -urus. Replaced native Middle English cunde, icunde (“nature, property, type, genus, character”) (from Old English ġecynd), Middle English lund (“nature, disposition”) (from Old Norse lund), Middle English burthe (“nature, birth, nation”) (from Old English ġebyrd and Old Norse *byrðr). More at kind.
Pronunciation [edit]
- (RP) IPA: /ˈneɪtʃə/, X-SAMPA: /"neItS@/
- (GenAm) IPA: /ˈneɪtʃɚ/, X-SAMPA: /"neItS@`/
-
Audio (US) (file) -
Audio (UK) (file) - Rhymes: -eɪtʃə(r)
- Hyphenation: na‧ture
Noun [edit]
nature (countable and uncountable; plural natures)
- (uncountable) The natural world; consisting of all things unaffected by or predating human technology, production and design. e.g. the ecosystem, the natural environment, virgin ground, unmodified species, laws of nature.
- 1891, Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying
- Nature has good intentions, of course, but, as Aristotle once said, she cannot carry them out. When I look at a landscape I cannot help seeing all its defects. It is fortunate for us, however, that Nature is so imperfect, as otherwise we should have no art at all. Art is our spirited protest, our gallant attempt to teach Nature her proper place. As for the infinite variety of Nature, that is a pure myth. It is not to be found in Nature herself. It resides in the imagination, or fancy, or cultivated blindness of the man who looks at her.
- 1891, Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying
- The innate characteristics of a thing. What something will tend by its own constitution, to be or do. Distinct from what might be expected or intended.
- 1920, Herman Cyril McNeile, Bulldog Drummond Chapter 1
- Being by nature of a cheerful disposition, the symptom did not surprise his servant, late private of the same famous regiment, who was laying breakfast in an adjoining room.
- 1869, Horatio Alger, Mark the Match Boy Chapter 16
- Mark hardly knew whether to believe this or not. He already began to suspect that Roswell was something of a humbug, and though it was not in his nature to form a causeless dislike, he certainly did not feel disposed to like Roswell.
- 1920, Herman Cyril McNeile, Bulldog Drummond Chapter 1
- The summary of everything that has to do with biological, chemical and physical states and events in the physical universe.
- 2012 January 1, Robert M. Pringle, “How to Be Manipulative”, American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, page 31:
- As in much of biology, the most satisfying truths in ecology derive from manipulative experimentation. Tinker with nature and quantify how it responds.
- 2012 January 1, Robert M. Pringle, “How to Be Manipulative”, American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, page 31:
Derived terms [edit]
Terms derived from nature
Look at pages starting with nature.
Related terms [edit]
Terms etymologically related to nature
Translations [edit]
essential characteristics
|
|
primitive state of being
|
|
everything related to biological and geographical states
|
|
environment
|
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
|
Verb [edit]
nature (third-person singular simple present natures, present participle naturing, simple past and past participle natured)
- (obsolete) To endow with natural qualities.
External links [edit]
- nature in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- nature in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
Statistics [edit]
-
Most common English words before 1923: cried · general · king · #361: nature · answered · thousand · looking
Anagrams [edit]
Esperanto [edit]
Adverb [edit]
nature
French [edit]
Pronunciation [edit]
Noun [edit]
nature f (plural natures)
Derived terms [edit]
Adjective [edit]
nature (masculine and feminine, plural natures)
- plain, unseasoned
- Une brioche nature ou sucrée ?
- File-moi un yaourt nature s’il te plait.
Italian [edit]
Noun [edit]
nature f
- Plural form of natura
Adjective [edit]
nature (invariable)
Anagrams [edit]
Latin [edit]
Participle [edit]
nātūre
- vocative masculine singular of naturus
Middle French [edit]
Noun [edit]
nature f (plural natures)
Novial [edit]
Noun [edit]
nature
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English verbs
- English terms with obsolete senses
- Esperanto adverbs
- French nouns
- French feminine nouns
- French countable nouns
- French adjectives
- Italian plurals
- Italian adjectives
- Latin participle forms
- Middle French nouns
- Novial nouns
