lusus naturae

名词 n.
中文释义
英 /ˈluːsəs nəˈtjʊəɹiː/|/ˈluːsuːs nəˈtjʊəɹiː/|/ˈljuːsuːs nəˈtjʊəɹiː/   

英文释义

名词 n.
  1. 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. historical
    — […]I have obſerv'd ſome meſhes to have 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. ſides, and ſome to have onely one, ſo exceeding various is the Luſus Naturæ in this body.
  2. An organism exhibiting marked such deviation from the norm, seeming to be the result of sportive design; a freak of nature. countable
    — All men, the monster and the lusus naturæ excepted, have a certain form, a certain complement of limbs, a certain internal structure, and organs of sense—may we not add further, certain powers of intellect?

词形变化

lusus naturae plural lusûs naturae plural,rare lusus naturæ alternative,archaic

词源

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.
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