Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

nātūra, ae, f. [nascor], birth.

  1. I. Lit. (very rare): naturā tu illi pater es, consiliis ego, Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 46; cf.: naturā pater, id. ib. 5, 7, 4.
  2. II. Transf. (freq. and class.; syn.: indoles, ingenium).
    1. A. The nature, i. e. the natural constitution, property, or quality of a thing: quod autem animal est, id motu cietur interiore et suo: nam haec est natura propria animae et vis, Cic. Rep. 6, 26, 28: ipsumque per se sua vi, sua natura, sua sponte laudabile, id. Fin. 2, 15, 50: ab ipsa natura loci, id. Agr. 2, 35, 95: quali esset natura montis, qui cognoscerent misit, Caes. B. G. 1, 21: loci, id. ib. 1, 2: tigna secundum naturam fluminis procumberent, according to the nature or natural course of the river, Caes. B. G. 4, 17: insula naturā triquetra, by nature, i. e. in shape, id. ib. 5, 13: naturas apibus quas Juppiter ipse Addidit expediam, Verg. G. 4, 149.
      1. 2. Of character, nature, natural disposition, inclination, bent, temper, character: cognitum per te ipsum, quae tua natura est, dignum tuā amicitiā judicabis, Cic. Fam. 13, 78, 2: prolixa beneficaque, id. ib. 3, 8, 8; Liv. 22, 59: mihi benefacere jam ex consuetudine in naturam vertit, has become natural, Sall. J. 85, 9.
        Prov.: consuetudo est secunda natura, August. adv. Jul. 5, 59 fin.; Macr. S. 7, 9, 7; cf.: voluptatem consuetudine quasi alteram naturam effici, Cic. Fin. 5, 25, 74: naturam expellas furcā, tamen usque recurret, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 24: facere sibi naturam alicujus rei, to accustom one’s self to a thing, Quint. 2, 4, 17: desideria naturae satiare, Cic. Fin. 2, 8, 25.
    2. B. The nature, course, or order of things: quod rerum natura non patitur, Cic. Ac. 2, 17, 55: delabi ad aequitatem et ad rerum naturam, id. Fam. 6, 10, 5: naturae satisfacere, i. e. to die, Cic. Clu. 10, 29; so, naturae concedere, Sall. J. 14, 15:
      Personified: quis vero opifex praeter naturam, quā nihil potest esse callidius, tantam sollertiam persequi potuisset in sensibus? quae primum oculos membranis tenuissimis vestivit, etc., Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 142: frui primis a natura datis, id. Fin. 2, 11, 34: homines rationem habent a naturā datam, id. ib. 2, 14, 45: et homini praecipui a naturā nihil datum esse dicemus, id. ib. 2, 33, 110: quae (membra corporum) ipsa declarant procreandi a naturā habitam esse rationem, id. ib. 3, 19, 62: omnis natura vult esse conservatrix sui, id. ib. 4, 7, 16; 5, 15, 41; 5, 20, 56: illam partem bene vivendi a natura petebant, eique parendum esse dicebant, id. Ac. 1, 5, 19.
      1. 2. Nature, i. e. the world, the universe: Cleanthes totius naturae menti atque animo hoc nomen (dei) tribuit, Cic. N. D. 1, 14, 37.
      2. 3. Nature, i. e. consistency with nature, possibility: in rerum naturā fuisse, Cic. Rab. Perd. 8, 24: hoc quoque in rerum naturam cadit, is a possible case, Quint. 2, 17, 32: judicatum est enim, rerum naturam non recipere, ut, etc., that it is not in accordance with nature, not possible, Val. Max. 8, 1, abs. 13:
    3. C. An element, thing, substance: Aristoteles quin tam quandam naturam censet esse, e qua sit mens, Cic. Tusc. 1, 10, 22: de naturis autem sic sentiebat; primum uti quattuor initiis rerum illis quintam hanc naturamnon adhiberet, etc., id. Ac. 1, 11, 39: natura tenuis aëris, Lucr. 2, 232.
    4. D. The natural parts, organs of generation: cujus (Mercurii) obscenius excitata natura traditur, Cic. N. D. 3, 22, 55: quaedam matrona visa est in quiete obsignatam habere naturam, id. Div. 2, 70, 145; cf. Varr. R. R. 3, 12, 4; 2, 7, 8.