nature

Phrases

against nature

unnatural or immoral.

someone's better nature

the good side of a person’s character; their capacity for tolerance, generosity, or sympathy:Charlotte planned to appeal to his better nature

call of nature

used euphemistically to refer to a need to urinate or defecate.

from nature

(in art) using natural scenes or objects as models:I wanted to paint landscape directly from nature

get (or go) back to nature

return to the type of life (regarded as being more in tune with nature) that existed before the development of complex industrial societies.

in the nature of

similar in type to or having the characteristics of:the promise was in the nature of a check that bounced

in the nature of things

• 1inevitable:it is in the nature of things that the majority of music prizes get set up for performers rather than composers

• 2inevitably:in the nature of things, old people spend much more time indoors

in a state of nature

• 1in an uncivilized or uncultivated state.

• 2totally naked.

• 3 Christian Theology in a morally unregenerate condition, unredeemed by divine grace.

the nature of the beast

informal the inherent or essential quality or character of something, which cannot be changed.