lusus naturae

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lusus naturae

/ˈluːsəs nəˈtjʊəɹiː/ UK
/ˈluːsuːs nəˈtjʊəɹiː/ UK
/ˈljuːsuːs nəˈtjʊəɹiː/ UK

Where it comes from

Learned borrowing from Latin lūsus nātūrae (literally “sport of Nature”), from lūsus (“playing, sport”) + nātūrae (“of Nature”), genitive singular of nātūra (“Nature”). Originally used to explain fossils (pre-paleontology) or abnormalities such as two-headed snakes.

noun lusus naturae · lusûs naturae · lusus naturæ

historical A sportive quality in Nature to which abnormal forms were formerly ascribed; a supposed capricious act of Nature regarded as the cause and origin of anomalies in a given organism. […]I have obſerv'd ſome meſhes to have 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. ſides, and ſome to have onely one, ſo exceeding various is the Luſus Naturæ in this body.
Similar: God's joke
countable An organism exhibiting marked such deviation from the norm, seeming to be the result of sportive design; a freak of nature. All men, the monster and the lusus naturæ excepted, have a certain form, a certain complement of limbs, a certain internal structure, and organs of sense—may we not add further, certain powers of intellect?
Similar: freak of nature, lusus

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MLA

"lusus naturae." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lusus%20naturae. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

lusus naturae. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lusus%20naturae

Chicago

"lusus naturae." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lusus%20naturae.

BibTeX

@misc{lusus_naturae_2026,
  title = {lusus naturae},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lusus%20naturae},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}