(a) Of physical and moral law: operating in the state of things, underlying the divinely instituted physical creation and its inherent moral order; also, scientific, pertaining to physical nature; ~ laue, the unwritten law in the minds and hearts of men; ~ principles, intrinsic constitution; natureles thinges, thinges that be ~, things that obey physical laws, the subject of the physical sciences; (b) pertaining to unfallen creation; ~ condicioun, unfallen hereditary circumstance; ~ laue [see quot.]; (c) ~ philosophie (commune, ~ science, phisik ~, the stori ~: general natural science, natural history; the study of natural science; also, natural law as an embodiment of divine law; ~ clerk (philosophre, phisicien), one versed in natural science; whel of ~ science, the celestial sphere or 'pantheon' of natural science; (d) ~ cause, ?efficient cause; (e) magike ~, the knowledge of hidden natural forces [see also magike (a)]; (f) bok of conversiounes ~, a work attributed to Anaxagoras.

(a) Of events, alterations, bodily features, bodily ailments: existing in nature, occurring as a result of natural forces; not caused by accident, human agency, or divine intervention; ~ chaunce, coincidence of nature; ~ defnesse [see defnesse]; (b) ~ dai, dai (jour) ~, twenty-four hours [see also dai 1.]; (c) of objects and substances: elemental, not manufactured, existing in nature; stones naturales, ?stones occurring naturally; (d) of properties of things, character traits, desires, appetites: intrinsic, inherent, of internal origin; spontaneous; essential, not accidental; ~ bounte, intrinsic benevolence; ~ cold, the quality of 'coldness'; ~ disposicioun, ?innate inclination; ~ hevenli influence, affinity with the heavens; withouten ~ peintinge, not colored by nature.

(a) Normal, customary, expected; ~ being, normal shape; ~ man, an ordinary mortal; proces ~, normal method (of doing sth.); ~ progressioun, an unbroken set of whole numbers; (b) healthy, free from disease or defect; ~ humoures, fluids produced in and used by a healthy body; ~ membres, healthy parts of the body; (c) ~ enemies, foreign enemies (as opposed to domestic, unnatural, enemies); ~ werre, a foreign war; thing..not ~, a foreign body in a wound, foreign substance.

(a) Nutritive; supportive of the body and the temperament; capable of sustaining vital processes and senses; pertaining to the alimentary system; ~ digestioun, feces; ~ humour (substaunce, blod), nutritive fluid, etc.; spirit ~, the principle of physical well-being and strength of character; ~ vertu(es, vertu(es ~, physical strength, life-sustaining faculty; working of the senses; also, even temper, good disposition; also, the efficacy of a medicine; vertu animal and ~, spiritual and physical powers; (b) physical; mortal; ~ deth, ~ lif, ~ stat; ~ might, physical sustenance.

(a) Hereditary, by birth; as if by birth [quot.: a1500(a1450)]; ~ fol, fol ~, a congenital fool; ~ institucioun, inherent disposition; ~ lege (lord), rightful lord; ~ successioun, legitimate succession; ~ yifte(s, hereditary possession(s; natural beauties; (b) of mental abilities: innate, derived from nature (as opposed to revelation, miracle, etc.); ~ resoun, resoun ~, ~ understondinge; ~ wit, native intelligence; ~ sensitif wittes, the five senses; ~ felinge, the sense of touch.

(a) Illegitimate, bastard; sones ~; ~ brother, ~ brether, brether ~, illegitimate brother(s; (b) by blood, physical, (one's) own; ~ sone.

(a) Suitable, appropriate; proper, own; assigned, specific; ~ ende, natural perfection; ~ name [see quot.]; ~ office(s, office ~, appropriate or specific function(s; ~ passage, proper course; ~ restauracioun, ?efficacious restorative; ~ servaunt, one fitted by nature to be a servant; (b) dutiful; duly observant of right practices or familial obligations; filially (paternally, maternally) affectionate; ~ love, ~ pite; a ~ knight, a duly humane knight.

Native; ~ contre (herberwe), native land.

?Noble.

As surname.