native
(adjective) belonging to one by birth; “my native land”; “one’s native language”
native
(adjective) characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin; “the native North American sugar maple”; “many native artists studied abroad”
native, aboriginal
(adjective) characteristic of or relating to people inhabiting a region from the beginning; “native Americans”; “the aboriginal peoples of Australia”
native
(adjective) as found in nature in the elemental form; “native copper”
native
(noun) indigenous plants and animals
native, indigen, indigene, aborigine, aboriginal
(noun) an indigenous person who was born in a particular place; “the art of the natives of the northwest coast”; “the Canadian government scrapped plans to tax the grants to aboriginal college students”
native
(noun) a person born in a particular place or country; “he is a native of Brazil”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
native (comparative more native, superlative most native)
Belonging to one by birth.
Characteristic of or relating to people inhabiting a region from prehistoric times.
Alternative letter-case form of Native (of or relating to the native inhabitants of the Americas, or of Australia).
Born or grown in the region in which it lives or is found; not foreign or imported.
(biology, of a species) Which occurs of its own accord in a given locality, to be contrasted with a species introduced by man.
(computing, of software) Pertaining to the system or architecture in question.
(mineralogy) Occurring naturally in its pure or uncombined form; native aluminium, native salt.
Arising by birth; having an origin; born.
Original; constituting the original substance of anything.
Naturally related; cognate; connected (with).
• (belonging to one by birth): inborn, innate; See also innate
• (born or grown in the region in which it is found): aboriginal, autochthonous, indigenous; See also native
• (born or grown in the region in which it is found): foreign, fremd; See also foreign
native (plural natives)
A person who is native to a place; a person who was born in a place.
(in particular) A person of aboriginal stock, as distinguished from a person who was or whose ancestors were foreigners or settlers/colonizers. Alternative letter-case form of Native (aboriginal inhabitant of the Americas or Australia).
A native speaker.
Ostrea edulis, a kind of oyster.
• In North America, native/Native came into use as an umbrella term for the indigenous inhabitants of America as Indian began to fall out of formal usage (because it originated from Columbus's mistaken belief that he was in India and the people he encountered were Indians). Other designations include Native American, Native Canadian, and American Indian. In Canada, the terms include Inuit and Metis and the adjectives First Nation/First Nations.
• homeling (uncommon, obsolete)
Native (not comparable)
aboriginal inhabitant of a region colonized by English-speaking people; in particular
(US, Canada) Indian: Native American or First Nation; of or relating to (North) American Indians.
(Australia, New Zealand) Aboriginal; of or relating to Australian Aboriginal peoples, Aborigines.
(South Africa) Related to black Africans, especially Bantu.
Native (plural Natives)
An aboriginal inhabitant of a region colonized by English-speaking people; in particular
(US, Canada) A Native American.
(Australia, New Zealand) An Aborigine.
(South Africa, dated, possibly, offensive) A black African, especially a Bantu.
See the usage notes at native.
Source: Wiktionary
Na"tive, a. Etym: [F. natif, L. nativus, fr. nasci, p.p. natus. See Nation, and cf. NaĂŻve, Nelf a serf.]
1. Arising by birth; having an origin; born. [Obs.] Anaximander's opinion is, that the gods are native, rising and vanishing again in long periods of times. Cudworth.
2. Of or pertaining to one's birth; natal; belonging to the place or the circumstances in which one is born; -- opposed to foreign; as, native land, language, color, etc.
3. Born in the region in which one lives; as, a native inhabitant, race; grown or originating in the region where used or sold; not foreign or imported; as, native oysters, or strawberries.
4. Original; constituting the original substance of anything; as, native dust. Milton.
5. Conferred by birth; derived from origin; born with one; inherent; inborn; not acquired; as, native genius, cheerfulness, simplicity, rights, etc. Courage is native to you. Jowett (Thucyd. ).
6. Naturally related; cognate; connected (with). [R.] the head is not more native to the heart, ... Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father. Shak.
7. (Min.) (a) Found in nature uncombined with other elements; as, native silver. (b) Found in nature; not artificial; as native sodium chloride. Native American party. See under American, a.
– Native bear (Zoöl.), the koala.
– Native bread (Bot.), a large underground fungus, of Australia (Mylitta australis), somewhat resembling a truffle, but much larger.
– Native devil. (Zoöl.) Same as Tasmanian devil, under Devil.
– Native hen (Zoöl.), an Australian rail (Tribonyx Mortierii).
– Native pheasant. (Zoöl.) See Leipoa.
– Native rabbit (Zoöl.), an Australian marsupial (Perameles lagotis) resembling a rabbit in size and form.
– Native sloth (Zoöl.), the koala.
– Native thrush (Zoöl.), an Australian singing bird (Pachycephala olivacea); -- called also thickhead.
– Native turkey (Zoöl.), the Australian bustard (Choriotis australis); -- called also bebilya.
Syn.
– Natural; natal; original; congential.
– Native, Natural, Natal. natural refers to the nature of a thing, or that which springs therefrom; native, to one's birth or origin; as, a native country, language, etc.; natal, to the circumstances of one's birth; as, a natal day, or star. Native talent is that which is inborn; natural talent is that which springs from the structure of the mind. Native eloquence is the result of strong innate emotion; natural eloquence is opposed to that which is studied or artifical.
Na"tive, n.
1. One who, or that which, is born in a place or country referred to; a denizen by birth; an animal, a fruit, or vegetable, produced in a certain region; as, a native of France.
2. (Stock Breeding)
Definition: Any of the live stock found in a region, as distinguished from such as belong to pure and distinct imported breeds. [U.S.]
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
3 March 2025
(verb) hold one’s ground; maintain a position; be steadfast or upright; “I am standing my ground and won’t give in!”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
