nature noun
1 the physical world; plants, animals, etc.
ADJ. Mother Mother Nature had served up some terrible weather for their cruise.
VERB + NATURE commune with He believed in spending half an hour each day to relax and commune with nature. | be/get back to We built our house in the country because we wanted to get back (= be close) to nature. | be found in man-made substances not found in nature
NATURE + VERB endow (sb with) sth Nature had endowed her with exceptional vitality. | produce sth It's unlikely that this gully was produced by nature.
NATURE + NOUN conservation | reserve | trail
PREP. close to ~ people who live in the country and are close to nature | in ~ We appreciate beauty in nature.
PHRASES the forces of nature, the laws of nature, a love of nature His love of nature was expressed through his wildlife paintings.
2 qualities/features of sb/sth
ADJ. basic, essential, fundamental, intrinsic, real, true | artificial | exact, precise, specific I'm not clear about the exact nature of their relationship. | general | selective | limited, restrictive | changing, seasonal, temporary, transitory | uncertain, unpredictable | arbitrary, random | subjective the subjective nature of an odour | abstract | capricious, fickle | intractable | distinctive, unusual | radical | complex | special, specialist | traditional | controversial | contradictory | problematic | unsatisfactory the unsatisfactory nature of the meeting | good People are always taking advantage of her good nature (= her kindness). | human It's only human nature to want more money. | divine | confidential, personal, private | public | international, local the international nature of the business | repetitive | routine matters of a routine nature | detailed Because of the detailed nature of the work, I have to use a very fine brush. | practical | physical, psychological, sexual They define sexual harassment as unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. | economic, legal, political, social Their problems are of an economic nature. | contemplative | inquisitive
VERB + NATURE have He has an inquisitive nature. | reveal The parties would not reveal the exact nature of the dispute. | conceal | reflect | belie The gentle lower slopes belie the true nature of the mountain. | be contrary to, be/run against It was against his nature to tell lies. | alter, change This new information does not change the nature of our findings. | acknowledge, be aware of, recognize Are you aware of the nature of the risks involved? | define, specify It is important to define the nature of the problem. | assess, consider, discuss, examine, explore, investigate | comprehend, realize, understand | misconceive | clarify, elucidate, explain, give/offer/provide an insight into His theory provides a remarkable insight into the nature of the British constitution. | describe | determine | depend on The method employed will depend on the nature of the task. | appeal to There was no point appealing to her better nature (= kindness).
PREP. by ~ He's not by nature an inquisitive person. | concerning the ~ a debate concerning the nature of violence | considering/given the ~ Given the nature of this matter, I am inclined to think it should be managed by you personally. | in ~ Their strategy was essentially political in nature. | in sb/sth's ~ It's not in his nature to complain. A certain element of risk is in the nature of the job. | of a … ~ The legal concept of insanity is of a different nature from the medical.
PHRASES by its very nature By its very nature a secret service is not open to public inspection. | the extent and nature of sth We need to understand the true extent and nature of the problem. | a part of sb's nature the expressive part of his nature Her view is that aggression is part of human nature. | a side of/to sb's nature He had a vicious side to his nature.
You can also check other dicts: nature (English, 中文解释 ), wordnet sense, Collins Definition