NATURAL, adjective [to be born or produced]

1. Pertaining to nature; produced or effected by nature, or by the laws of growth, formation or motion impressed on bodies or beings by divine power. Thus we speak of 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; natural beauty. In this sense, natural is opposed to artificial or acquired.

2. According to the stated course of things. Poverty and shame are the natural consequences of certain vices.

3. Not forced; not far fetched; such as is dictated by nature. The gestures of the orator are natural

4. According to the life; as a natural representation of the face.

5. Consonant to nature.

Fire and warmth go together, and so seem to carry with them as natural an evidence as self-evident truths themselves.

6. Derived from nature, as opposed to habitual. The love of pleasure is natural ; the love of study is usually habitual or acquired.

7. Discoverable by reason; not revealed; as natural religion.

8. Produced or coming in the ordinary course of things, or the progress or animals and vegetables; as a natural death; opposed to violent or premature.

9. Tender; affectionate by nature.

10. Unaffected; unassumed; according to truth and reality.

What can be more natural than the circumstances of the behavior of those women who had lost heir husbands on this fatal day?

11. Illegitimate; born out of wedlock; as a natural son.

12. Native; vernacular; as ones natural language.

13. Derived from the study of the works or nature; as natural knowledge.

14. A natural note, in music, is that which is according to the usual order of the scale; opposed to flat and sharp notes, which are called artificial.

NATURAL history, in its most extensive sense, is the description of whatever is created, or of the whole universe, including the heavens and the earth, and all the productions of the earth. But more generally, natural history is limited to a description of the earth and its productions, including zoology, botany, geology, mineralogy, meteorology, _ c.

NATURAL philosophy, the science of material natural bodies, of their properties, powers and motions. It is distinguished from intellectual and moral philosophy, which respect the mind or understanding of man and the qualities of actions. natural philosophy comprehends mechanics, hydrostatics, optics, astronomy, chimistry, magnetism, eletricity, galvanism, _ c.

NATURAL, noun

1. An idiot; one born without the usual powers of reason or understanding. This is probably elliptical for natural fool.

2. A native; an original inhabitant.

3. Gift of nature; natural quality.