natant

[ neyt-nt ]

See synonyms for natant on Thesaurus.com

adjective

swimming or floating.
Botany. floating on water, as the leaf of an aquatic plant.

Origin of natant

First recorded in 1450–1500; from Latin natant- stem of natāns, present participle of natāre “to swim”; see -ant

Other words from natant

na·tant·ly, adverb

Words Nearby natant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use natant in a sentence

She stood rigid, listening with a natant, sickening consciousness that something terrible hung at her back.
The Red Debt | Everett MacDonald
Tota natant crispis juga motibus et tremit absens Pampinus, et vitreis vindemia turget in undis.
Letters of Edward FitzGerald | Edward FitzGerald

British Dictionary definitions for natant

natant

/ (ˈneɪtənt) /

adjective

(of aquatic plants) floating on the water
rare floating or swimming

Origin of natant

C18: from Latin natāns, present participle of natāre to swim

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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