lusus naturae

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

A sportive quality in Nature to which abnormal forms were formerly ascribed; a supposed capricious act of Nature regarded as the cause and origin of anomalies in a given organism.
An organism exhibiting marked such deviation from the norm, seeming to be the result of sportive design; a freak of nature.

Pronunciation

lo͞oʹsəs nətyo͝oəʹrē lyo͞oʹsəs nətyo͝oəʹrē /ˈluːsəs nəˈtjʊəɹiː/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lusus naturae.wav lo͞oʹso͞os nətyo͝oəʹrē lyo͞oʹso͞os nətyo͝oəʹrē /ˈluːsuːs nəˈtjʊəɹiː/ /ˈljuːsuːs nəˈtjʊəɹiː/

Word forms

lusus naturae lusûs naturae lusus naturæ

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin lūsus nātūrae (literally “sport of Nature”), from lūsus (“playing, sport”) + nātūrae (“of Nature”), genitive singular of nātūra (“Nature”). Originally used to explain fossils (pre-paleontology) or abnormalities such as two-headed snakes.

Synonyms

God's joke freak of nature lusus

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