Defn: Anan. [Prov. Eng.]
NANDINENan"dine, n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An African carnivore (Nandinia binotata), allied to the civets.It is spotted with black.
NANDOU; NANDUNan"dou, Nan"du, n. Etym: [Braz. nhandu or yandu.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of three species of South American ostriches of the genera Rhea and Pterocnemia. See Rhea. [Written also nandow.]
NANISMNa"nism, n. [Gr. + -ism: cf. F. nanisme.]
Defn: The condition of being abnormally small in stature; dwarfishness; — opposed to gigantism.
NANKEEN Nan*keen", n. Etym: [So called from its being originally manufactured at Nankin, in China.] [Written also nankin.]
1. A species of cloth, of a firm texture, originally brought from China, made of a species of cotton (Gossypium religiosum) that is naturally of a brownish yellow color quite indestructible and permanent.
2. An imitation of this cloth by artificial coloring.
3. pl.
Defn: Trousers made of nankeen. Ld. Lytton. Nankeen bird (Zoöl.), the Australian night heron (Nycticorax Caledonicus); — called also quaker.
NANNYNan"ny, n.
Defn: A diminutive of Ann or Anne, the proper name. Nanny goat, a female goat. [Colloq.]
NANNYBERRYNan"ny*ber`ry, n. (Bot.)
Defn: See Sheepberry.
NANPIENan"pie, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The magpie.
NAOSNa"os, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Arch.)
Defn: A term used by modern archæologists instead of cella. SeeCella.
NAP Nap, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Napped; p. pr. & vb. n. Napping.] Etym: [OE. nappen, AS. hn&ppian to take a nap, to slumber; cf. AS. hnipian to bend one's self, Icel. hnipna, hnipa, to droop.]
1. To have a short sleep; to be drowsy; to doze. Chaucer.
2. To be in a careless, secure state. Wyclif. I took thee napping, unprepared. Hudibras.
NAPNap, n.
Defn: A short sleep; a doze; a siesta. Cowper.
NAP Nap, n. Etym: [OE. noppe, AS. hnoppa; akin to D. nop, Dan. noppe, LG. nobbe.]
1. Woolly or villous surface of felt, cloth, plants, etc.; an external covering of down, of short fine hairs or fibers forming part of the substance of anything, and lying smoothly in one direction; the pile; — as, the nap of cotton flannel or of broadcloth.
2. pl.
Defn: The loops which are cut to make the pile, in velvet. Knight.
NAPNap, v. t.
Defn: To raise, or put, a nap on.
NAPENape, n. Etym: [Perh. akin to knap a knop.]
Defn: The back part of the neck. Spenser.
NAPE-CRESTNape"-crest`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An African bird of the genus Schizorhis, related to the plantain eaters.
NAPERYNa"per*y, n.; pl. Naperies. Etym: [OF. naperie, fr. nape atablecloth, F. nappe, LL. napa, fr. L. mappa. See Map, and cf. Apron,Napkin.]
Defn: Table linen; also, linen clothing, or linen in general. [Obs.]Gayton.
NAPHA WATERNa"pha wa`ter. Etym: [Sp. nafa, from Ar. napha odor.]
Defn: A perfume distilled from orange flowers.
NAPHEWNa"phew, n. (Bot.)
Defn: See Navew.
NAPHTHANaph"tha, n. Etym: [L. naphtha, Gr. nafth, nifth.]
1. (Chem.)
Defn: The complex mixture of volatile, liquid, inflammable hydrocarbons, occurring naturally, and usually called crude petroleum, mineral oil, or rock oil. Specifically: That portion of the distillate obtained in the refinement of petroleum which is intermediate between the lighter gasoline and the heavier benzine, and has a specific gravity of about 0.7, — used as a solvent for varnishes, as a carburetant, illuminant, etc.
2. (Chem.)
Defn: One of several volatile inflammable liquids obtained by the distillation of certain carbonaceous materials and resembling the naphtha from petroleum; as, Boghead naphtha, from Boghead coal (obtained at Boghead, Scotland); crude naphtha, or light oil, from coal tar; wood naphtha, from wood, etc.
Note: This term was applied by the earlier chemical writers to a number of volatile, strong smelling, inflammable liquids, chiefly belonging to the ethers, as the sulphate, nitrate, or acetate of ethyl. Watts. Naphtha vitrioli Etym: [NL., naphtha of vitriol] (Old Chem.), common ethyl ether; — formerly called sulphuric ether. See Ether.
NAPHTHALATENaph"tha*late, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A salt of naphthalic acid; a phthalate. [Obs.]
NAPHTHALENENaph"tha*lene, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A white crystalline aromatic hydrocarbon, C10H8, analogous to benzene, and obtained by the distillation of certain bituminous materials, such as the heavy oil of coal tar. It is the type and basis of a large number of derivatives among organic compounds. Formerly called also naphthaline. Naphthalene red (Chem.), a dyestuff obtained from certain diazo derivatives of naphthylamine, and called also magdala red. — Naphthalene yellow (Chem.), a yellow dyestuff obtained from certain nitro derivatives of naphthol.
NAPHTHALENICNaph`tha*len"ic, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to , or derived from, naphthalene; — used specifically to designate a yellow crystalline substance, called naphthalenic acid and also hydroxy quinone, and obtained from certain derivatives of naphthol.
NAPHTHALIC Naph*tha"lic, a. (Chem.) (a) Pertaining to, derived from, or related to, naphthalene; — used specifically to denote any one of a series of acids derived from naphthalene, and called naphthalene acids. (b) Formerly, designating an acid probably identical with phthalic acid.
NAPHTHALIDINENaph*thal"i*dine, n. Etym: [Naphthalene + toluidine.] (Chem.)
Defn: Same as Naphthylamine.
NAPHTHALIN; NAPHTHALINENaph"tha*lin, Naph"tha*line, n. Etym: [F. naphthaline.] (Chem.)
Defn: See Naphthalene.
NAPHTHALIZENaph"tha*lize, v. t. (Chem.)
Defn: To mingle, saturate, or impregnate, with naphtha.
NAPHTHAZARINNaph*thaz"a*rin, n. Etym: [Naphthalene + alizarin.] (Chem.)
Defn: A dyestuff, resembling alizarin, obtained from naphthoquinone as a red crystalline substance with a bright green, metallic luster; — called also naphthalizarin.
NAPHTHENENaph"thene, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A peculiar hydrocarbon occuring as an ingredient of Caucasian petroleum.
NAPHTHIDENaph"thide, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A compound of naphthalene or its radical with a metallic element; as, mercuric naphthide.
NAPHTHOICNaph*tho"ic, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to, derived from, or related to, naphthalene; — used specifically to designate any one of a series of carboxyl derivatives, called naphthoic acids.
NAPHTHOLNaph"thol, n. Etym: [Naphthalene + -ol.] (Chem.)
Defn: Any one of a series of hydroxyl derivatives of naphthalene, analogous to phenol. In general they are crystalline substances with a phenol (carbolic) odor. Naphthol blue, Naphthol orange, Naphthol yellow (Chem.), brilliant dyestuffs produced from certain complex nitrogenous derivatives of naphthol or naphthoquinone.
NAPHTHOQUINONENaph`tho*qui"none, n. Etym: [Naphthalene + quinone.] (Chem.)
Defn: A yellow crystalline substance, C10H6O2, analogous to quinone, obtained by oxidizing naphthalene with chromic acid.
NAPHTHYLNaph"thyl, n. Etym: [Naphthalene + -yl.] (Chem.)
Defn: A hydrocarbon radical regarded as the essential residue of naphthalene.
NAPHTHYLAMINENaph`thyl*am"ine, n. (Chem.)
Defn: One of two basic amido derivatives of naphthalene, C10H7.NH2, forming crystalline solids.
NAPIERIAN; NAPERIANNa*pie"ri*an, Na*pe"ri*an ,, a.
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or discovered by, Napier, or Naper. Naperian logarithms. See under Logarithms.
NAPIER'S BONES; NAPIER'S RODSNa"pi*er's bones`, Na"pi*er's rods`.
Defn: A set of rods, made of bone or other material, each divided into nine spaces, and containing the numbers of a column of the multiplication table; — a contrivance of Baron Napier, the inventor of logarithms, for facilitating the operations of multiplication and division.
NAPIFORMNa"pi*form, a. Etym: [L. napus turnip + -form: cf. F. napiforme. Cf.Navew.] (Bot.)
Defn: Turnip-shaped; large and round in the upper part, and very slender below.
NAPKIN Nap"kin, n. Etym: [Dim. of OF. nape a tablecloth, cloth, F. nappe, L. mappa. See Napery.]
1. A little towel, or small cloth, esp. one for wiping the fingers and mouth at table.
2. A handkerchief. [Obs.] Shak. Napkin pattern. See Linen scroll, under Linen. — Napkin ring, a ring of metal, ivory, or other material, used to inclose a table napkin.
NAPLESSNap"less, a.
Defn: Without nap; threadbare. Shak.
NAPLES YELLOWNa"ples yel"low.
Defn: See under Yellow.
NAPOLEONNa*po"le*on, n. Etym: [From the Emperor Napoleon 1.]
Defn: A French gold coin of twenty francs, or about $3.86.
NAPOLEONICNa*po`le*on"ic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Napoleon I., or his family; resembling, or having the qualities of, Napoleon I. Lowell.
NAPOLEONISTNa*po"le*on*ist, n.
Defn: A supporter of the dynasty of the Napoleons.
NAPPENappe, n. Etym: [F. nappe cloth, sheet. See Napery.] (Geom.)
Defn: Sheet; surface; all that portion of a surface that is continuous in such a way that it is possible to pass from any one point of the portion to any other point of the portion without leaving the surface. Thus, some hyperboloids have one nappe, and some have two.
NAPPINESSNap"pi*ness, n. Etym: [From 2d Nappy.]
Defn: The quality of having a nap; abundance of nap, as on cloth.
NAPPINGNap"ping, n.
1. The act or process of raising a nap, as on cloth.
2. (Hat Making)
Defn: A sheet of partially felted fur before it is united to the hat body. Knight.
NAPPYNap"py, a. Etym: [From 1st Nap.]
1. Inclined to sleep; sleepy; as, to feel nappy.
2. Tending to cause sleepiness; serving to make sleepy; strong; heady; as, nappy ale. [Obs.] Wyatt.
NAPPYNap"py, a. Etym: [From 3d Nap.]
Defn: Having a nap or pile; downy; shaggy. Holland.
NAPPYNap"py, n.; pl. Nappies. Etym: [OE. nap, AS. hnæp cup, bowl. SeeHanaper.]
Defn: A round earthen dish, with a flat bottom and sloping sides.[Written also nappie.]
NAP-TAKINGNap"-tak`ing, n.
Defn: A taking by surprise; an unexpected onset or attack. Carew.
NAPUNa*pu", n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A very small chevrotain (Tragulus Javanicus), native of Java. It is about the size of a hare, and is noted for its agility in leaping. Called also Java musk deer, pygmy musk deer, and deerlet.
NAPUSNa"pus, n. Etym: [L.] (Bot.)
Defn: A kind of turnip. See Navew.
NARCEINENar"ce*ine, n. Etym: [L. narce numbness, torpor, Gr. narcé\'8bne.](Chem.)
Defn: An alkaloid found in small quantities in opium, and extracted as a white crystalline substance of a bitter astringent taste. It is a narcotic. Called also narceia.
NARCISSINENar*cis"sine, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Narcissus.
NARCISSUS Nar*cis"sus, n.; pl. Narcissuses. Etym: [L. narcissus, and (personified) Narcissus, Gr. na`rkissos, Na`rkissos, fr. na`rkh torpor, in allusion to the narcotic properties of the flower. Cf. Narcotic.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of endogenous bulbous plants with handsome flowers, having a cup-shaped crown within the six-lobed perianth, and comprising the daffodils and jonquils of several kinds.
2. (Classical Myth.)
Defn: A beautiful youth fabled to have been enamored of his own image as seen in a fountain, and to have been changed into the flower called Narcissus.
NARCOSISNar*co"sis, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. na`rkwsis. See Narcotic.] (Med.)
Defn: Privation of sense or consciousness, due to a narcotic.
NARCOTICNar*cot"ic, a. Etym: [F. narcotique, Gr. na`rkh numbness, torpor.](Med.)
Defn: Having the properties of a narcotic; operating as a narcotic.— Nar*cot"ic*ness, n.
NARCOTICNar*cot"ic, n. (Med.)
Defn: A drug which, in medicinal doses, generally allays morbid susceptibility, relieves pain, and produces sleep; but which, in poisonous doses, produces stupor, coma, or convulsions, and, when given in sufficient quantity, causes death. The best examples are opium (with morphine), belladonna (with atropine), and conium. Nercotykes and opye (opium) of Thebes. Chaucer.
NARCOTICALNar*cot"ic*al, a.
Defn: Narcotic.— Nar*cot"ic*al*ly, adv.
NARCOTINENar"co*tine, n. Etym: [Cf. F. narcotine. Cf. Cotarnine.] (Chem.)
Defn: An alkaloid found in opium, and extracted as a white crystalline substance, tasteless and less poisonous than morphine; — called also narcotia.
NARCOTINICNar`co*tin"ic, a.
Defn: Pertaining to narcotine.
NARCOTISMNar"co*tism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. narcotisme.]
Defn: Narcosis; the state of being narcotized. G. Eliot.
NARCOTIZENar"co*tize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Narcotized; p. pr. & vb. n.Narcotizing.]
Defn: To imbue with, or subject to the influence of, a narcotic; to put into a state of narcosis.
NARD Nard, n. Etym: [AS., fr. L. nardus, Gr. nêrd, Per. nard, Scr. nalada.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: An East Indian plant (Nardostachys Jatamansi) of the Valerian family, used from remote ages in Oriental perfumery.
2. An ointment prepared partly from this plant. See Spikenard.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: A kind of grass (Nardus stricta) of little value, found inEurope and Asia.
NARDINENard"ine, a. Etym: [L. nardinus, Gr.
Defn: Of or pertaining to nard; having the qualities of nard.
NARDOONar*doo", n. (Bot.)
Defn: An Australian name for Marsilea Drummondii, a four-leaved cryptogamous plant, sometimes used for food.
NARENare, n. Etym: [L. naris.]
Defn: A nostril. [R.] B. Jonson.
NARESNa"res, n. pl. Etym: [L., pl. of naris nostril.] (Anat.)
Defn: The nostrils or nasal openings, — the anterior nares being the external or proper nostrils, and the posterior nares, the openings of the nasal cavities into the mouth or pharynx.
NARGILE; NARGILEH Nar"gile, Nar"gi*leh, n. Etym: [Per. narghil, prop., a cocoanut; prob. so called because first made of a cocoanut.]
Defn: An apparatus for smoking tobacco. It has a long flexible tube, and the smoke is drawn through water.
NARICANar"i*ca, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The brown coati. See Coati.
NARIFORMNar"i*form, a. Etym: [L. naris nostril + -form. See Nose.]
Defn: Formed like the nose.
NARINENar"ine, a.
Defn: Of or belonging to the nostrils.
NARRABLENar"ra*ble, a. Etym: [L. narrabilis, fr. narrare to narrate.]
Defn: Capable of being narrated or told. [Obs.]
NARRAGANSETTSNar`ra*gan"setts, n. pl.; sing. Narragansett (. (Ethnol.)
Defn: A tribe of Indians who formerly inhabited the shores ofNarragansett Bay.
NARRATENar*rate", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Narrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Narrating.]Etym: [L. narratus, p. p. of narrare to narrate, prob. for gnarigare,fr. gnarus knowing. See Ignore, Know.]
Defn: To tell, rehearse, or recite, as a story; to relate the particulars of; to go through with in detail, as an incident or transaction; to give an account of.
Syn.— To relate; recount; detail; describe.
NARRATIONNar*ra"tion, n. Etym: [L. narratio: cf. F. narration.]
1. The act of telling or relating the particulars of an event; rehearsal; recital.
2. That which is related; the relation in words or writing of the particulars of any transaction or event, or of any series of transactions or events; story; history.
3. (Rhet.)
Defn: That part of a discourse which recites the time, manner, or consequences of an action, or simply states the facts connected with the subject.
Syn. — Account; recital; rehearsal; relation; description; explanation; detail; narrative; story; tale; history. See Account.
NARRATIVENar"ra*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. narratif.]
1. Of or pertaining to narration; relating to the particulars of an event or transaction.
2. Apt or inclined to relate stories, or to tell particulars of events; story-telling; garrulous. But wise through time, and narrative with age. Pope.
NARRATIVENar"ra*tive, n.
Defn: That which is narrated; the recital of a story; a continuous account of the particulars of an event or transaction; a story. Cyntio was much taken with my narrative. Tatler.
Syn.— Account; recital; rehearsal; relation; narration; story; tale.See Account.
NARRATIVELYNar"ra*tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In the style of narration.
NARRATORNar*ra"tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who narrates; one who relates a series of events or transactions.
NARRATORYNar"ra*to*ry, a.
Defn: Giving an account of events; narrative; as, narratory letters.Howell.
NARRENarre, a.
Defn: Nearer. [Obs.] Spenser.
NARROW Nar"row, a. [Compar. Narrower; superl. Narrowest.] Etym: [OE. narwe, naru, AS. nearu; akin to OS. naru, naro.]
1. Of little breadth; not wide or broad; having little distance from side to side; as, a narrow board; a narrow street; a narrow hem. Hath passed in safety through the narrow seas. Shak.
2. Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed. The Jews were but a small nation, and confined to a narrow compass in the world. Bp. Wilkins.
3. Having but a little margin; having barely sufficient space, time, or number, etc.; close; near; — with special reference to some peril or misfortune; as, a narrow shot; a narrow escape; a narrow majority. Dryden.
4. Limited as to means; straitened; pinching; as, narrow circumstances.
5. Contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted; as, a narrow mind; narrow views. "A narrow understanding." Macaulay.
6. Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish. A very narrow and stinted charity. Smalridge.
7. Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact. But first with narrow search I must walk round This garden, and no corner leave unspied. Milton.
8. (Phon.)
Defn: Formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate; or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; — distinguished from wide; as e (eve) and oo (food), etc., from ì (ìll) and oo (foot), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, § 13.
Note: Narrow is not unfrequently prefixed to words, especially to participles and adjectives, forming compounds of obvious signification; as, narrow-bordered, narrow-brimmed, narrow-breasted, narrow-edged, narrow-faced, narrow-headed, narrow-leaved, narrow- pointed, narrow-souled, narrow-sphered, etc. Narrow gauge. (Railroad) See Note under Gauge, n., 6.
NARROWNar"row, n.; pl. Narrows (.
Defn: A narrow passage; esp., a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water; — usually in the plural; as, The Narrows of New York harbor. Near the island lay on one side the jaws of a dangerous narrow. Gladstone.
NARROWNar"row, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Narrowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Narrowing.]Etym: [AS. nearwian.]
1. To lessen the breadth of; to contract; to draw into a smaller compass; to reduce the width or extent of. Sir W. Temple.
2. To contract the reach or sphere of; to make less liberal or more selfish; to limit; to confine; to restrict; as, to narrow one's views or knowledge; to narrow a question in discussion. Our knowledge is much more narrowed if we confine ourselves to our own solitary reasonings. I. Watts.
3. (Knitting)
Defn: To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.
NARROWNar"row, v. i.
1. To become less broad; to contract; to become narrower; as, the sea narrows into a strait.
2. (Man.)
Defn: Not to step out enough to the one hand or the other; as, a horse narrows. Farrier's Dict.
3. (Knitting)
Defn: To contract the size of a stocking or other knit article, by taking two stitches into one.
NARROWERNar"row*er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, narrows or contracts. Hannah More.
NARROWINGNar"row*ing, n.
1. The act of contracting, or of making or becoming less in breadth or extent.
2. The part of a stocking which is narrowed.
NARROWLYNar"row*ly, adv. Etym: [AS. nearulice.]
1. With little breadth; in a narrow manner.
2. Without much extent; contractedly.
3. With minute scrutiny; closely; as, to look or watch narrowly; to search narrowly.
4. With a little margin or space; by a small distance; hence, closely; hardly; barely; only just; — often with reference to an avoided danger or misfortune; as, he narrowly escaped.
5. Sparingly; parsimoniously.
NARROW-MINDEDNar"row-mind`ed, a.
Defn: Of narrow mental scope; illiberal; mean.— Nar"row-mind`ed*ness, n.
NARROWNESSNar"row*ness, n. Etym: [AS. nearunes.]
Defn: The condition or quality of being narrow.
NARTNart. Etym: [For ne art.]
Defn: Art not. [Obs.] Chaucer.
NARTHEXNar"thex, n. Etym: [L., giant fennel, Gr.
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A tall umbelliferous plant (Ferula communis). See Giant fennel, under Fennel.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: The portico in front of ancient churches; sometimes, the atrium or outer court surrounded by ambulatories; — used, generally, for any vestibule, lobby, or outer porch, leading to the nave of a church.
NARWALNar"wal, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Narwhal.
NARWENar"we, a.
Defn: Narrow. [Obs.] Chaucer.
NARWHAL Nar"whal, n. Etym: [Sw. or Dan. narvhal; akin to Icel. nahvalr, and E. whale. the first syllable is perh. from Icel. nar corpse, dead body, in allusion to the whitish color its skin. See Whale.] [Written also narwhale.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An arctic cetacean (Monodon monocerous), about twenty feet long. The male usually has one long, twisted, pointed canine tooth, or tusk projecting forward from the upper jaw like a horn, whence it is called also sea unicorn, unicorn fish, and unicorn whale. Sometimes two horns are developed, side by side.
NASNas. Etym: [For ne was.]
Defn: Was not. [Obs.] Chaucer.
NASNas. Etym: [Contr. fr. ne has.]
Defn: Has not. [Obs.] Spenser.
NASALNa"sal, a. Etym: [F., from L. nasus the nose. See Nose.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the nose.
2. (Phon.)
Defn: Having a quality imparted by means of the nose; and specifically, made by lowering the soft palate, in some cases with closure of the oral passage, the voice thus issuing (wholly or partially) through the nose, as in the consonants m, n, ng (see Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 20, 208); characterized by resonance in the nasal passage; as, a nasal vowel; a nasal utterance. Nasal bones (Anat.), two bones of the skull, in front of the frontals. — Nasal index (Anat.), in the skull, the ratio of the transverse the base of the aperture to the nasion, which latter distance is taken as the standard, equal to 100.
NASALNa"sal, n.
1. An elementary sound which is uttered through the nose, or through both the nose and the mouth simultaneously.
2. (Med.)
Defn: A medicine that operates through the nose; an errhine.[Archaic]
3. (Anc. Armor)
Defn: Part of a helmet projecting to protect the nose; a nose guard.
4. (Anat.)
Defn: One of the nasal bones.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A plate, or scale, on the nose of a fish, etc.
NASALITYNa*sal"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. nasalité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being nasal.
NASALIZATIONNa`sal*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act of nasalizing, or the state of being nasalized.
NASALIZENa"sal*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Nasalized; p. pr. & vb. n.Nasalizing.]
Defn: To render nasal, as sound; to insert a nasal or sound in.
NASALIZENa"sal*ize, v. t.
Defn: To utter words or letters with a nasal sound; to speak through the nose.
NASALLYNa"sal*ly, adv.
Defn: In a nasal manner; by the nose.
NASCALNas"cal, n. Etym: [F. nascale.] (Med.)
Defn: A kind of pessary of medicated wool or cotton, formerly used.
NASCENCYNas"cen*cy, n. Etym: [L. nascentia. See Nascent.]
Defn: State of being nascent; birth; beginning; origin.
NASCENTNas"cent, a. Etym: [L. nascens, -entis, p.pr. nasci to be born. SeeNation, and cf. Naissant.]
1. Commencing, or in process of development; beginning to exist or to grow; coming into being; as, a nascent germ. Nascent passions and anxieties. Berkley.
2. (Chem.)
Defn: Evolving; being evolved or produced. Nascent state (Chem.), the supposed instantaneous or momentary state of an uncombined atom or radical just separated from one compound acid, and not yet united with another, — a hypothetical condition implying peculiarly active chemical properties; as, hydrogen in the nascent state is a strong reducer.
NASEBERRY Nase"ber`ry, n. Etym: [Sp. nispero medlar and naseberry tree, fr. L. mespilus. See Medlar.] (Bot.)
Defn: A tropical fruit. See Sapodilla. [Written also nisberry.]
NASHNash, a. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]
Defn: Firm; stiff; hard; also, chilly. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
NASICORNOUS Nas`i*cor"nous, a. Etym: [L. nasus nose + cornu horn: cf. F. nasicorne.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Bearing a horn, or horns, on the nose, as the rhinoceros.
NASIFORMNas"i*form, a. Etym: [L. nasus nose + -form. See Nose, and cf.Nariform.]
Defn: Having the shape of a nose.
NASIONNa*si*on, n. Etym: [Nl., fr. L. nasus nose.] (Anat.)
Defn: The middle point of the nasofrontal suture.
NASO-Na"so- (. Etym: [L. nasus nose.] (Anat.)
Defn: A combining form denoting pertaining to, or connected with, the nose; as, nasofrontal.
NASOBUCCALNa"so*buc"cal, a. Etym: [Naso + buccal.] (Anat.)
Defn: Connected with both the nose and the mouth; as, the nasobuccal groove in the skate.
NASOFRONTALNa`so*fron"tal, a. Etym: [Naso- + frontal.] (Anat.)
Defn: of or pertaining to the nose and the front of the head; as, the embryonic nasofrontal process which forms the anterior boundary of the mouth.
NASOLACHRYMALNa`so*lach"ry*mal, a. Etym: [Naso- + lachrymal.] (Anat.)
Defn: Connected with the lachrymal apparatus and the nose; as, the nasolachrymal, or lachrymal duct.
NASOPALATAL; NASOPALATINENa`so*pal"a*tal, Na`so*pal"a*tine, a. Etym: [Naso- + palatal.](Anat.)
Defn: Connected with both the nose and the palate; as, the nasopalatine or incisor, canal connecting the mouth and the nasal chamber in some animals; the nasopalatine nerve.
NASOPHARYNGEALNa`so*phar`yn*ge"al ( or , a. Etym: [Naso- + pharyngeal.] (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to both throat and nose; as, a nasopharyngeal polypus.
NASOSEPTALNa`so*sep"tal, a. Etym: [Naso- + septal.] (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the internasal septum.
NASOTURBINALNa`so*tur"bi*nal, a. Etym: [Naso- + turbinal.] (Anat.)
Defn: Connected with, or near, both the turbinal and the nasal bones; as, the nasalturbinal bone, made up of the uppermost lammelæ of the ethmoturbinal, and sometimes united with the nasal. — n.
Defn: The nasoturbinal bone.
NASSA Nas"sa, n.; pl. E. Nassas, L. NassÆ. Etym: [From L. nassa a kind of basket, in allusion to the reticulation of some species.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any species of marine gastropods, of the genera Nassa, Tritia, and other allied genera of the family Nassidæ; a dog whelk. See Illust. under Gastropoda. — nas"soid, a.
NASTILYNas"ti*ly, adv.
Defn: In a nasty manner.
NASTINESSNas"ti*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being nasty; extreme filthness; dirtiness; also, indecency; obscenity. The nastiness of Plautus and Aristophanes. Dryden.
NASTURTIONNas*tur"tion, n. Etym: [See Nasturtium.] (Bot.)
Defn: Same as Nasturtium.
NASTURTIUM Nas*tur"tium, n. Etym: [L. nasturtium, for nasitortium, fr. nasus nose + torquere, tortum, to twist, torture, in allusion to the causing one to make a wry face by its pungent taste. See Nose of the face, and Torture.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of cruciferous plants, having white or yellowish flowers, including several species of cress. They are found chiefly in wet or damp grounds, and have a pungent biting taste.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Any plant of the genus Tropæolum, geraniaceous herbs, having mostly climbing stems, peltate leaves, and spurred flowers, and including the common Indian cress (Tropæolum majus), the canary-bird flower (T. peregrinum), and about thirty more species, all natives of South America. The whole plant has a warm pungent flavor, and the fleshy fruits are used as a substitute for capers, while the leaves and flowers are sometimes used in salads.
NASTY Nas"ty, a. [Compar. Nastier (; superl. Nastiest.] Etym: [For older nasky; cf. dial. Sw. naskug, nasket.]
1. Offensively filthy; very dirty, foul, or defiled; disgusting; nauseous.
2. Hence, loosely: Offensive; disagreeable; unpropitious; wet; drizzling; as, a nasty rain, day, sky.
3. Characterized by obcenity; indecent; indelicate; gross; filthy.
Syn. — Nasty, Filthy, Foul, Dirty. Anything nasty is usually wet or damp as well as filthy or dirty, and disgusts by its stickness or odor; but filthy and foul imply that a thing is filled or covered with offensive matter, while dirty describes it as defiled or sullied with dirt of any kind; as, filthy clothing, foul vapors, etc.
NASUTENa"sute, a. Etym: [L. nasutus, fr. nasus the nose.]
1. Having a nice sense of smell. [Obs.] Evelyn.
2. Critically nice; captious. [Obs.] auden.
NASUTNESSNa"sut*ness, n.
Defn: Quickness of scent; hence, nice discernment; acuteness. [Obs.]Dr. H. More.
NATNat, adv.
Defn: Not. [Obs.] Chaucer.
NATNat Etym: [For ne at.]
Defn: Not at; nor at. [Obs.] haucer.
NATAL Na"tal, a. Etym: [L. natalis, fr. natus, p.p. of nasci to be born: cf. F. natal. See Nation, and cf. Noel.]
1. Of or pertaining to one's birth; accompying or dating from one's birth; native. Princes' children took names from their natal places. Camden. Propitious star, whose sacred power Presided o'er the monarch's natal hour. Prior.
2. (Actrol.)
Defn: Presiding over nativity; as, natal Jove.
Syn.— Native, natural. See Native.
NATAL BOILNa*tal" boil. (Med.)
Defn: = Aleppo boil.
NATALITIAL; NATALITIOUSNa`ta*li"tial, Na`ta*li"tious, a. Etym: [L. natalitius, from natalis.See Natal.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to one's birth or birthday, or one's nativity.[Obs.] "Natalitial poplar." Evelyn. "Natalitious fire." W.Cartwright.
NATALOINNa*tal"o*in, n. Etym: [From Natal aloes.] (Chem.)
Defn: A bitter crystalline substance constituting the essential principle of Natal aloes. Cf. Aloon.
NATAL PLUMNa*tal" plum`. (Bot.)
Defn: The drupaceous fruit of two South African shrubs of the genusArduina (A. bispinosa and A. grandiflora).
NATALSNa"tals, n. pl.
Defn: One's birth, or the circumstances attending it. [Obs.] Fitz-Geffry.
NATANT Na"tant, a. Etym: [L. natans, -antis, from swim, v. intens. fr. nare to swim: cf. F. natant.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: Floating in water, as the leaves of water lilies, or submersed, as those of many aquatic plants.
2. (Her.)
Defn: Placed horizontally across the field, as if swimmimg toward the dexter side; said of all sorts of fishes except the flying fish.
NATANTLYNa"tant*ly, adv.
Defn: In a floating manner; swimmingly.
NATATION Na*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. natatio, fr. natare to swim: cf. F. natation. See Natant.]
Defn: The act of floating on the water; swimming. Sir T. Browne.
NATATORESNa`ta*to"res, n. pl. Etym: [L. natator a swimmer.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The swimming birds.
Note: They were formerly united into one order, which is now considered an artifical group.
NATATORIALNa`ta*to"rial, a.
Defn: Inclined or adapted to swim; swimming; as, natatorial birds.
NATATORIOUSNa`ta*to"ri*ous, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Adapted for swimming; — said of the legs of certain insects.
NATATORIUMNa`ta*to"rium, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: A swimming bath.
NATATORYNa"ta*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. natatorius.]
Defn: Adapted for swimming or floating; as, natatory organs.
NATCH Natch, n. Etym: [OF. nache fesse, LL. natica, from L. natis the rump, buttocks. Cf. Aitchbone.]
Defn: The rump of beef; esp., the lower and back part of the rump.Natch bone, the edgebone, or aitchbone, in beef.
NATCHEZNatch"ez, n. pl. (Ethnol.)
Defn: A tribe of Indians who formerly lived near the site of the city of Natchez, Mississippi. In 1729 they were subdued by the French; the survivors joined the Creek Confederacy.
NATCHNEENatch"nee, n. (Bot.)
Defn: An annual grass (Eleusine coracona), cultivated in India as a food plant.
NATESNa"tes, n. pl. Etym: [L., the buttocks.]
1. (Anat.) (a) The buttocks. (b) The two anterior of the four lobes on the dorsal side of the midbrain of most mammals; the anterior optic lobes.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The umbones of a bivalve shell.
NATHNath. Etym: [Contr. fr. ne hath,]
Defn: hath not. [Obs.]
NATHLESS Nath"less, adv. Etym: [OE. natheles, na the les, not the less, AS. na never. See Na, The, conj., and cf. Nevertheless.]
Defn: Nevertheless. [Archaic] Chaucer. Milton. E. Arnold.
NATHMORENath"more`, adv. Etym: [OE. na the more.]
Defn: Not the more; never the more. [Obs.] penser.
NATICANat"i*ca, n.; pl. Naticas (, L. NaticÆ (. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of marine gastropods belonging toNatica, Lunatia, Neverita, and other allied genera (family Naticidæ.)They burrow beneath the sand, or mud, and drill other shells.
NATICOIDNat"i*coid, a. Etym: [Natica + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Like or belonging to Natica, or the family Naticæ.
NATION Na"tion, n. Etym: [F. nation, L. natio nation, race, orig., a being born, fr. natus, p.p. of nasci, to be born, for gnatus, gnaci, from the same root as E. kin. *44. See Kin kindred, and cf. Cognate, Natal, Native.]
1. (Ethnol.)
Defn: A part, or division, of the people of the earth, distinguishedfrom the rest by common descent, language, or institutions; a race; astock.All nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. Rev. vii. 9.
2. The body of inhabitants of a country, united under an independent government of their own. A nation is the unity of a people. Coleridge. Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation. F. S. Key.
3. Family; lineage. [Obs.] Chaucer.
4. (a) One of the divisions of university students in a classification according to nativity, formerly common in Europe. (b) (Scotch Universities) One of the four divisions (named from the parts of Scotland) in which students were classified according to their nativity.
5. A great number; a great deal; — by way of emphasis; as, a nation of herbs. Sterne. Five nations. See under Five. — Law of nations. See International law, under International, and Law.
Syn.— people; race. See People.
NATIONALNa"tion*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. national.]
1. Of or pertaining to a nation; common to a whole people or race; public; general; as, a national government, language, dress, custom, calamity, etc.
2. Attached to one's own country or nation. National anthem, a popular song or hymn which has become by general acceptance the recognized musical expression of the patriotic sentiment of a nation; as, "God save the King" is called the national anthem of England. — National bank, the official common name of a class of banking corporations established under the laws of the United States. — National flag. See under Flag. — National guard, a body of militia, or a local military organization, as in Paris during the French Revolution, or as certain bodies of militia in other European countries and in the United States. — National salute, a salute consisting of as many guns as there are States in the Union. [U.S.]
NATIONALISMNa"tion*al*ism, n.
1. The state of being national; national attachment; nationality.
2. An idiom, trait, or character peculiar to any nation.
3. National independence; the principles of the Nationalists.
NATIONALISTNa"tion*al*ist, n.
Defn: One who advocates national unity and independence; one of a party favoring Irish independence.
NATIONALITYNa`tion*al"i*ty, n.; pl. Nationalities. Etym: [Cf. F. nationalité.]
1. The quality of being national, or strongly attached to one's own nation; patriotism.
2. The sum of the qualities which distinguish a nation; national character.
3. A race or people, as determined by common language and character, and not by political bias or divisions; a nation. the fulfillment of his mission is to be looked for in the condition of nationalities and the character of peoples. H. W. Beecher.
4. Existence as a distinct or individual nation; national unity and integrity.
5. The state or quality of belonging to or being connected with a nation or government by nativity, character, ownership, allegiance, etc.
NATIONALIZATIONNa`tion*al*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act of nationalizing, or the state of being nationalized.
NATIONALIZENa"tion*al*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Nationalized; p. pr. & vb. n.Nationalizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. nationaliser.]
Defn: To make national; to make a nation of; to endow with the character and habits of a nation, or the peculiar sentiments and attachment of citizens of a nation.
NATIONALLYNa"tion*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In a national manner or way; as a nation. "The jews … being nationally espoused to God by covenant." South.
NATIONALNESSNa"tion*al*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being national; nationality. Johnson.
NATIONALRATHNa`ti*o*nal"rath`, n. [G.] (Switzerland)
Defn: See Legislature.
NATIVENa"tive, a. Etym: [F. natif, L. nativus, fr. nasci, p.p. natus. SeeNation, and cf. Naïve, Nelf a serf.]
1. Arising by birth; having an origin; born. [Obs.] Anaximander's opinion is, that the gods are native, rising and vanishing again in long periods of times. Cudworth.
2. Of or pertaining to one's birth; natal; belonging to the place or the circumstances in which one is born; — opposed to foreign; as, native land, language, color, etc.
3. Born in the region in which one lives; as, a native inhabitant, race; grown or originating in the region where used or sold; not foreign or imported; as, native oysters, or strawberries.
4. Original; constituting the original substance of anything; as, native dust. Milton.
5. Conferred by birth; derived from origin; born with one; inherent; inborn; not acquired; as, native genius, cheerfulness, simplicity, rights, etc. Courage is native to you. Jowett (Thucyd. ).
6. Naturally related; cognate; connected (with). [R.] the head is not more native to the heart, … Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father. Shak.
7. (Min.)(a) Found in nature uncombined with other elements; as, nativesilver.(b) Found in nature; not artificial; as native sodium chloride.Native American party. See under American, a.— Native bear (Zoöl.), the koala.— Native bread (Bot.), a large underground fungus, of Australia(Mylitta australis), somewhat resembling a truffle, but much larger.— Native devil. (Zoöl.) Same as Tasmanian devil, under Devil.— Native hen (Zoöl.), an Australian rail (Tribonyx Mortierii).— Native pheasant. (Zoöl.) See Leipoa.— Native rabbit (Zoöl.), an Australian marsupial (Perameleslagotis) resembling a rabbit in size and form.— Native sloth (Zoöl.), the koala.— Native thrush (Zoöl.), an Australian singing bird (Pachycephalaolivacea); — called also thickhead.— Native turkey (Zoöl.), the Australian bustard (Choriotisaustralis); — called also bebilya.
Syn. — Natural; natal; original; congential. — Native, Natural, Natal. natural refers to the nature of a thing, or that which springs therefrom; native, to one's birth or origin; as, a native country, language, etc.; natal, to the circumstances of one's birth; as, a natal day, or star. Native talent is that which is inborn; natural talent is that which springs from the structure of the mind. Native eloquence is the result of strong innate emotion; natural eloquence is opposed to that which is studied or artifical.
NATIVENa"tive, n.
1. One who, or that which, is born in a place or country referred to; a denizen by birth; an animal, a fruit, or vegetable, produced in a certain region; as, a native of France.
2. (Stock Breeding)
Defn: Any of the live stock found in a region, as distinguished from such as belong to pure and distinct imported breeds. [U.S.]
NATIVELYNa"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: By natural or original condition; naturally; originally.
NATIVENESSNa"tive*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being native.
NATIVE STEELNa"tive steel.
Defn: A sort of steel which has been found where a burning coal seam had reduced and carbonized adjacent iron ore.
NATIVISMNa"tiv*ism, n.
1. The disposition to favor the native inhabitants of a country, in preference to immigrants from foreign countries.
2. (Philos.)
Defn: The doctrine of innate ideas, or that the mind possesses forms of thought independent of sensation.
NATIVISTNa"tiv*ist, n.
Defn: An advocate of nativism.
NATIVISTICNa`tiv*is"tic, a.
Defn: Relating to nativism.
NATIVITYNa*tiv"i*ty, n.; pl. Nativies. Etym: [F. nativité, L. nativitas. SeeNative, and cf. NaïvetÉ.]
1. The coming into life or into the world; birth; also, the circumstances attending birth, as time, place, manner, etc. Chaucer. I have served him from the hour of my nativity. Shak. Thou hast left … the land of thy nativity. Ruth ii. 11. These in their dark nativity the deep Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame. Milton.
2. (Fine Arts)
Defn: A picture representing or symbolizing the early infancy of Christ. The simplest form is the babe in a rude cradle, and the heads of an ox and an ass to express the stable in which he was born.
3. (Astrol.)
Defn: A representation of the positions of the heavenly bodies as the moment of one's birth, supposed to indicate his future destinies; a horoscope. The Nativity, the birth or birthday of Christ; Christmas day. — To cast, or calculate, one's nativity (Astrol.), to find out and represent the position of the heavenly bodies at the time of one's birth.
NATKANat"ka, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A species of shrike.
NATRIUMNa"tri*um, n. Etym: [NL. See Natron.] (Chem.)
Defn: The technical name for sodium.
NATROLITENa"tro*lite, n. Etym: [Natron + -lite: cf. F. natrolithe.] (Min.)
Defn: A zeolite occuring in groups of glassy acicular crystals, and in masses which often have a radiated structure. It is a hydrous silicate of alumina and soda.
NATRONNa"tron, n. Etym: [F., fr. Sp. natron, Ar. natrun, nitrun. Cf. Niter,Anatron.] (Min.)
Defn: Native sodium carbonate. [Written also anatron.]
NATTERNat"ter, v. i. Etym: [Cf. Icel. knetta to grumble.]
Defn: To find fault; to be peevish. [Prov. Eng. or Scot.]
NATTERJACKNat"ter*jack`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A European toad (Bufo calamita), having a yellow line along its back.
NATTYNat"ty, a. Etym: [Cf. Neat clean.]
Defn: Neat; tidy; spruce. [Colloq.] — Nat"ti*ly, adv.— Nat"ti*ness, n.
NATURAL Nat"u*ral, a. Etym: [OE. naturel, F. naturel, fr. L. naturalis, fr. natura. See Nature.]
1. Fixed or determined by nature; pertaining to the constitution of a thing; belonging to native character; according to nature; essential; characteristic; not artifical, foreign, assumed, put on, or acquired; as, the natural growth of animals or plants; the natural motion of a gravitating body; natural strength or disposition; the natural heat of the body; natural color. With strong natural sense, and rare force of will. Macaulay.
2. Conformed to the order, laws, or actual facts, of nature; consonant to the methods of nature; according to the stated course of things, or in accordance with the laws which govern events, feelings, etc.; not exceptional or violent; legitimate; normal; regular; as, the natural consequence of crime; a natural death. What can be more natural than the circumstances in the behavior of those women who had lost their husbands on this fatal day Addison.
3. Having to do with existing system to things; dealing with, or derived from, the creation, or the world of matter and mind, as known by man; within the scope of human reason or experience; not supernatural; as, a natural law; natural science; history, theology. I call that natural religion which men might know … by the mere principles of reason, improved by consideration and experience, without the help of revelation. Bp. Wilkins.
4. Conformed to truth or reality; as: (a) Springing from true sentiment; not artifical or exaggerated; — said of action, delivery, etc.; as, a natural gesture, tone, etc. (b) Resembling the object imitated; true to nature; according to the life; — said of anything copied or imitated; as, a portrait is natural.
5. Having the character or sentiments properly belonging to one's position; not unnatural in feelings. To leave his wife, to leave his babes, … He wants the natural touch. Shak.
6. Connected by the ties of consanguinity. "Natural friends." J. H. Newman.
7. Begotten without the sanction of law; born out of wedlock; illegitimate; bastard; as, a natural child.
8. Of or pertaining to the lower or animal nature, as contrasted with the higher or moral powers, or that which is spiritual; being in a state of nature; unregenerate. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. ii. 14.
9. (Math.)
Defn: Belonging to, to be taken in, or referred to, some system, in which the base is 1; — said or certain functions or numbers; as, natural numbers, those commencing at 1; natural sines, cosines, etc., those taken in arcs whose radii are 1.
10. (Mus.) (a) Produced by natural organs, as those of the human throat, in distinction from instrumental music. (b) of or pertaining to a key which has neither a flat nor a sharp for its signature, as the key of C major. (c) Applied to an air or modulation of harmony which moves by easy and smooth transitions, digressing but little from the original key. Moore (Encyc. of Music). Natural day, the space of twenty-four hours. Chaucer. — Natural fats, Natural gas, etc. See under Fat, Gas. etc. — Natural Harmony (Mus.), the harmony of the triad or common chord. — Natural history, in its broadest sense, a history or description of nature as a whole, incuding the sciences of botany, zoölogy, geology, mineralogy, paleontology, chemistry, and physics. In recent usage the term is often restricted to the sciences of botany and zoölogy collectively, and sometimes to the science of zoology alone. — Natural law, that instinctive sense of justice and of right and wrong, which is native in mankind, as distinguished from specifically revealed divine law, and formulated human law. — Natural modulation (Mus.), transition from one key to its relative keys. — Natural order. (Nat. Hist.) See under order. — Natural person. (Law) See under person, n. — Natural philosophy, originally, the study of nature in general; in modern usage, that branch of physical science, commonly called physics, which treats of the phenomena and laws of matter and considers those effects only which are unaccompanied by any change of a chemical nature; — contrasted with mental and moral philosophy. — Natural scale (Mus.), a scale which is written without flats or sharps. Model would be a preferable term, as less likely to mislead, the so-called artificial scales (scales represented by the use of flats and sharps) being equally natural with the so-called natural scale — Natural science, natural history, in its broadest sense; — used especially in contradistinction to mental or moral science. — Natural selection (Biol.), a supposed operation of natural laws analogous, in its operation and results, to designed selection in breeding plants and animals, and resulting in the survival of the fittest. The theory of natural selection supposes that this has been brought about mainly by gradual changes of environment which have led to corresponding changes of structure, and that those forms which have become so modified as to be best adapted to the changed environment have tended to survive and leave similarly adapted descendants, while those less perfectly adapted have tended to die out though lack of fitness for the environment, thus resulting in the survival of the fittest. See Darwinism. — Natural system (Bot. & Zoöl.), a classification based upon real affinities, as shown in the structure of all parts of the organisms, and by their embryology. It should be borne in mind that the natural system of botany is natural only in the constitution of its genera, tribes, orders, etc., and in its grand divisions. Gray. — Natural theology, or Natural religion, that part of theological science which treats of those evidences of the existence and attributes of the Supreme Being which are exhibited in nature; — distinguished from revealed religion. See Quotation under Natural, a., 3. — Natural vowel, the vowel sound heard in urn, furl, sir, her, etc.; — so called as being uttered in the easiest open position of the mouth organs. See Neutral vowel, under Neutral and Guide to Pronunciation, § 17.
Syn.— See Native.
NATURALNat"u*ral, n.
1. A native; an aboriginal. [Obs.] Sir W. Raleigh.
2. pl.
Defn: Natural gifts, impulses, etc. [Obs.] Fuller.
3. One born without the usual powers of reason or understanding; an idiot. "The minds of naturals." Locke.
4. (Mus.)
Defn: A character [] used to contradict, or to remove the effect of, a sharp or flat which has preceded it, and to restore the unaltered note.
NATURALISMNat"u*ral*ism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. naturalisme.]
1. A state of nature; conformity to nature.
2. (Metaph.)
Defn: The doctrine of those who deny a supernatural agency in the miracles and revelations recorded in the Bible, and in spiritual influences; also, any system of philosophy which refers the phenomena of nature to a blind force or forces acting necessarily or according to fixed laws, excluding origination or direction by one intelligent will.
NATURALISTNat"u*ral*ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. naturaliste.]
1. One versed in natural science; a student of natural history, esp. of the natural history of animals.
2. One who holds or maintains the doctrine of naturalism in religion. H. Bushnell.
NATURALISTICNat`u*ral*is"tic, a.
1. Belonging to the doctrines of naturalism.
2. Closely resembling nature; realistic. "Naturalistic bit of pantomime." W. D. Howells.
NATURALITYNat`u*ral"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. naturalitas: cf. F. naturalité.]
Defn: Nature; naturalness. [R.]
NATURALIZATIONNat`u*ral*i*za"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. naturalisation.]
Defn: The act or process of naturalizing, esp. of investing an alien with the rights and privileges of a native or citizen; also, the state of being naturalized.
NATURALIZENat"u*ral*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Naturalized; p. pr. & vb. n.Naturalizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. naturaliser. See Natural.]
1. To make natural; as, custom naturalizes labor or study.
2. To confer the rights and privileges of a native subject or citizen on; to make as if native; to adopt, as a foreigner into a nation or state, and place in the condition of a native subject.
3. To receive or adopt as native, natural, or vernacular; to make one's own; as, to naturalize foreign words.