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instinct - 11 dictionary results
in⋅stinct
1
[in-stingkt] 
stɪŋkt
–noun
| 1. | an inborn pattern of activity or tendency to action common to a given biological species. |
| 2. | a natural or innate impulse, inclination, or tendency. |
| 3. | a natural aptitude or gift: an instinct for making money. |
| 4. | natural intuitive power. |
in⋅stinct
2 [in-stingkt] –adjective
| 1. | filled or infused with some animating principle (usually fol. by with): instinct with life. |
| 2. | Obsolete. animated by some inner force. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To instinct
| in·stinct (ĭn'stĭngkt') n.
[Middle English, from Latin īnstīnctus, impulse, from past participle of īnstinguere, to incite : in-, intensive pref.; see in-2 + stinguere, to prick; see steig- in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Instinct
In*stinct"\, a. [L. instinctus, p. p. of instinguere to instigate, incite; cf. instigare to instigate. Cf. Instigate, Distinguish.] Urged or stimulated from within; naturally moved or impelled; imbued; animated; alive; quick; as, birds instinct with life. The chariot of paternal deity . . . Itself instinct with spirit, but convoyed By four cherubic shapes. --Milton. A noble performance, instinct with sound principle. --Brougham.Instinct
In"stinct\, n. [L. instinctus instigation, impulse, fr. instinguere to instigate: cf. F. instinct. See Instinct, a.]1. Natural inward impulse; unconscious, involuntary, or unreasoning prompting to any mode of action, whether bodily, or mental, without a distinct apprehension of the end or object to be accomplished. An instinct is a propensity prior to experience, and independent of instructions. --Paley. An instinct is a blind tendency to some mode of action, independent of any consideration, on the part of the agent, of the end to which the action leads. --Whately. An instinct is an agent which performs blindly and ignorantly a work of intelligence and knowledge. --Sir W. Hamilton. By a divine instinct, men's minds mistrust Ensuing dangers. --Shak. 2. (Zo["o]l.) Specif., the natural, unreasoning, impulse by which an animal is guided to the performance of any action, without of improvement in the method. The resemblance between what originally was a habit, and an instinct becomes so close as not to be distinguished. --Darwin. 3. A natural aptitude or knack; a predilection; as, an instinct for order; to be modest by instinct.Instinct
In*stinct"\, v. t. To impress, as an animating power, or instinct. [Obs.] --Bentley.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : instinct
Spanish:
instinto,
German:
der Instinkt,
Japanese:
本能
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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instinct
1412, "a prompting," from L. instinctus "instigation, impulse," pp. of instinguere "to incite, impel," from in- "on" + stinguere "prick, goad" (see instigation). Sense of "innate tendency" is first recorded 1568, from notion of "natural prompting."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: in·stinct
Pronunciation: 'in-"sti[ng](k)t
Function: noun
1 : a largely inheritable and unalterable tendency of an organism to makea complex and specific response to environmental stimuli without involving reason
2 : behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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instinct in·stinct (ĭn'stĭngkt')
n.
- An inborn pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a species and is often a response to specific environmental stimuli.
- A powerful motivation or impulse.
in·stinc'tive or in·stinc'tu·al (ĭn-stĭngk'ch&oomacr;-əl) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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| instinct (ĭn'stĭngkt') Pronunciation Key
An inherited tendency of an organism to behave in a certain way, usually in reaction to its environment and for the purpose of fulfilling a specific need. The development and performance of instinctive behavior does not depend upon the specific details of an individual's learning experiences. Instead, instinctive behavior develops in the same way for all individuals of the same species or of the same sex of a species. For example, birds will build the form of nest typical of their species although they may never have seen such a nest being built before. Some butterfly species undertake long migrations to wintering grounds that they have never seen. Behavior in animals often reflects the influence of a combination of instinct and learning. The basic song pattern of many bird species is inherited, but it is often refined by learning from other members of the species. Dogs that naturally seek to gather animals such as sheep or cattle into a group are said to have a herding instinct, but the effective use of this instinct by the dog also requires learning on the dog's part. Instinct, as opposed to reflex, is usually used of inherited behavior patterns that are more complex or sometimes involve a degree of interaction with learning processes. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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