lusus naturae
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of lusus naturae
First recorded in 1655–65, lusus naturae is from Latin lūsus nātūrae “a jest of nature”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
From the loathsome lusus naturae of behemoth horror series to the sprawling cosmopolis of complex management simulators, video games often feature wrenched contortions of the natural world as core tenets in environmental design.
From The Verge • Feb. 13, 2020
Paul did not know what a lusus naturae was, but it sounded mighty grand.
From The Fortunate Youth by Locke, William John
Poor Milly became scarlet, and suddenly devoted herself to the lusus naturae!
From The Eagle Cliff by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)
If Norman were not a lusus naturae," said Dr. May, hesitating for a word, "his head would have been turned long ago.
From The Daisy chain, or Aspirations by Yonge, Charlotte Mary
Sometimes, however, from an original lusus naturae, or from the influence of circumstances, a man becomes a haunter of death-beds, a tormentor of afflicted hearts, and a follower of funerals.
From Fanshawe by Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
