(a) The aggregate of inherent qualities or properties of persons, animals, plants, elements, medicines, etc.; essential character; the nature of emotions, attributes, and the like; after the fleshes ~, according to bodily nature; of a brother: natural; bok of kindes, bok of ~ of bestes, the Bestiary; fir ~, the nature of fire; moder ~, q.v.; (b) theol. the nature of God, Christ, the soul, etc.; essence; the nature of man (as contrasted with that of God); mennish (mannes) ~, the humanity of Christ; aungel(es ~, the angelic nature; (c) aye (ayen) ~, contrary to the nature of a bird, animal, planet, etc.; bi (of, thurgh) ~, by reason of its properties, by nature; natural; (d) a characteristic, property, quality; a distinctive feature of something.

(a) The natural disposition or temperament of a person or animal; character; (b) bi (of, to, thurgh) ~, bi weie of ~, naturally; by innate disposition; ?congenital; comen of ~, to be natural to (sb. to do sth.); (c) the inherent character of man or his heart; human nature; gon ayen the ~, to be contrary to human nature; of propre ~, thurgh ~, naturally.

(a) The natural constitution of a person; man's physical nature; cours of ~, the way of man's physical nature; -- personified; after cours of oure ~, bi cours (weie) of ~, in accordance with the natural process; of ~, by natural constitution, in physical build; thurgh ~, by reason of man's physical nature; (b) ?physical strength or vigor; (c) the innate power or capacity within a man or bodily part to perform physiological functions, combat diseases, heal wounds, engender new tissues, etc.; (d) love of ~, ?fleshly love (as opposed to spiritual); thing (vertu) of ~, a physical function or activity; (e) the composition of a metal or stone.

(a) The natural form, shape, or appearance of a person, bodily part, substance, etc.; the normal condition or state of a plant, bodily organ, wound, etc.; the natural position of a bone; the norm; (b) aboven (ayenes, out of, withouten) ~, abnormal, monstrous, unusual; pathogenic; abnormally; after ~, of bodily parts: normal; ayen the ~, of the face: deformed; bringen out of ~, to change the form of (sb. or sth.), transform, alter; wenden out of ~, fall into bad order, decline; (c) her.?natural colors or form; (d) the body of a person, a human body; (e) substance; in ~, substantially; (f) ?a spectacle, a sight.

(a) The natural instincts, desires, or feelings within man or animal; -- sometimes personified; cours of ~, a natural behavior, the way of natural appetites; bi cours (weie) of ~, in accordance with natural feelings or desires; in kindes wone, naturally; (b) ayen (ayens) ~, contrary to man's natural feelings or instincts; bi (of) ~, by instinct, instinctively.

(a) Man's innate or instinctive moral feeling; aye (ayen, ayenes, out of) ~, morally perverted; perversely; bi (thurgh) ~, by the dictates of one's natural moral feeling; (b) laue (reule) of ~, natural moral law; ayen laue of ~, bi laue (and ordre) of ~.

(a) Action natural, habitual or customary to a person, animal, etc.; proper occupation or profession; the characteristic function of a bodily part; don his ~, to act naturally; of tide: proceed on its natural course; passen his ~, of the sea:?diverge from its normal ebb and flow; turnen ayenes (out of) ~, change the function of a person or thing; (b) the natural or proper manner of doing something, the customary mode of action, a way, fashion; bi ~, customarily, normally; al manere ~, all manners; in ani manere ~, in any way; bi som ~, in some way; bi what ~, in what manner, how; for non ~, in no ~, in no way, under no circumstances.

(a) The universe, creation; the physical world; natural physical phenomena; natural order of things; (b) aboven ~, transcending natural physical order of things; aye (ayen, ayenes, onyen, yen, yenes) ~, not in accordance with natural ways or processes; not naturally used or consumed; bi (of, with) ~, concordant with natural laws, processes, or order of things; naturally; thurgh ~, through natural ways; (c) cours of ~, the natural way; aboven the commune cours of ~, beyond the natural order of things, unusual; auctour of ~, natural philosopher; ayen (ayenes, passing) the (commune) cours of ~, contrary to natural ways or processes; bi cours (weie) of ~, in the natural order or way of things; laue of ~, the laws or principles governing the natural world; stories of ~, natural history; (d) ?reality; in ~, in reality.

(a) Nature as a source of living things or a regulative force operating in the material world; -- often personified; bi (of) ~, of qualities, abilities, etc.: by native endowment, inborn, innate; of branches: natural, not grafted; (b) forme of ~, natural disposition or character [see forme 7. (a)]; godes of ~, natural physical or mental endowments [see god 9. (c)]; (c) God, the Creator; (d) in proverbs.

(a) A class of creatures; human beings, birds, reptiles, etc.; aungel(es ~, angels [see aungel 1b. (d).]; creping (fleing) ~, reptiles (fowls) [see crepen 3. (a), flien 1a. (a)]; fendes ~, devils, demons; ~ of man (men), ertheli (worldes) ~, the human race, mankind; (b) a species of plants or animals; a genus; also, the animals that belong to a given family; (c) a kind of thing, element, disease, humor, medicine, gem, etc.; a category, a general type; also, a general term; in ~, in general; a ~ to, a general type or generic term for sub-classes of medicines or diseases; (d) a subordinate category of disease or pathological condition; also, a subordinate part of a bodily part; (e) ?a part of the world, section; ?a side, direction.

(a) A tribe; clan, family; a race; cristen ~, Christians; english ~, the English people; (b) ?people; folk of ~, a nation; (c) kindred, kinsfolk; kith and ~; nexte ~, nearest kin; (d) of ~, of (someone's) kindred, kin to (sb.); also, for blood relationship; (e) alch. a substance sharing certain elements or qualities with another.

(a) Parentage, lineage, ancestry, stock; birth; ben (ben boren, comen) of ~, to be descended of (someone's) stock, be of (noble, royal, etc.) birth; bi (of, thurgh) ~, by birth; of a son: natural-born; (b) the breed of cattle, horses, or other animals; ben comen of ~, to be of excellent stock; (c) genealogy.

(a) The station or rank one is born into; bicomen (comen, fallen) of ~, to befit one's rank or station (to do sth.); (b) territory or possessions by right of inheritance, rightful heritage; (c) the right of inheritance, right of birth; (d) hereditary possession; haven in ~, of the meek: to inherit (the earth); (e) the line of natural succession in a family, clan or kingdom; nexte of ~, next in line of succession; (f) bi (of, thurgh) ~, by right of birth or inheritance; bi heritage of ~, of heritage bi ~, by natural inheritance.

(a) Progeny, descendants; an offspring; also fig.; (b) fruit; also, the discharge (of an animal); (c) a generation; fro ~ to ~.

(a) Sex; (b) sexual function; werkes of ~, sexual activities; don ~, to engage in sexual intercourse; (c) sexual organs; testicles; (d) sperm, seminal fluid; also, the fluid secreted by a woman during intercourse.

Gram. Gender.

(a) Mankind; commune ~; (b) a creature, a person; coll. creatures, persons.