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numen

 - 2 dictionary results

nu⋅men

  [noo-min, nyoo-]
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–noun, plural -mi⋅na  [-muh-nuh] .
divine power or spirit; a deity, esp. one presiding locally or believed to inhabit a particular object.
Origin:
1620–30; < L nūmen a nod, command, divine will or power, divinity; akin to nūtāre to nod the head in commanding or assent
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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nu·men   (nōō'mən, nyōō'-)   
n.   pl. nu·mi·na (-mə-nə)

  1. A presiding divinity or spirit of a place.

  2. A spirit believed by animists to inhabit certain natural phenomena or objects.

  3. Creative energy; genius.


[Latin nūmen, nod of the head, divine power, numen.]
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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