natal

¹

[ neyt-l ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a person's birth:

   celebrating one's natal day.

2. presiding over or affecting a person at birth:

   natal influences.

3. (of places) native:

   nostalgia for one's natal town.

Natal

²

[ nuh-tal, -tahl; Portuguese nuh-tawl ]

noun

1. a province in the E part of the Republic of South Africa. 35,284 sq. mi. (91,886 sq. km). : Pietermaritzburg.
2. a seaport in E Brazil.

natal

¹

/ ˈneɪtəl /

adjective

1. anatomy of or relating to the buttocks

Natal

²

noun

1. nəˈtæl a former province of E South Africa, between the Drakensberg and the Indian Ocean: set up as a republic by the Boers in 1838; became a British colony in 1843; joined South Africa in 1910; replaced by KwaZulu-Natal in 1994. Capital: Pietermaritzburg
2. naˈtal a port in NE Brazil, capital of Rio Grande do Norte state, near the mouth of the Potengi River. Pop: 1 049 000 (2005 est)

natal

³

/ ˈneɪtəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to birth
2. a rare word for native

   natal instincts

Other Words From

• Na·tali·an adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of natal¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin nātālis “of or relating to birth,” from nāt(us) “an offspring” (variant of gnātus “born,” past participle of nāscī “to be born”) + -ālis -al ¹; nascent ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of natal¹

from New Latin nates buttocks

Origin of natal²

C14: from Latin nātālis of one's birth, from nātus, from nascī to be born

Example Sentences

Testosterone levels must be "within natal female range... for an appropriate length of time so as to minimise any potential advantage", and hormone treatment must be verified annually.

From BBC

I’ve seen him reference his natal chart in interviews before, so in anticipation of our meeting — and knowing the museum exhibition might pique his interest — I research my own.

From Los Angeles Times

The system does not show sign of a significant "natal kick," an acceleration of the orbiting objects.

From Science Daily

"Orangutan males disperse from their natal area during or after puberty over long distances to either establish a new home range in another area or are moving between other's home ranges," explains Schuppli.

From Science Daily

Once males reach independence, they leave the natal habitats in which they were raised and spend the rest of their lives as nomads roaming the rainforest.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• common
• essential
• innate
• instinctive
• legitimate
• logical
• ordinary
• reasonable
• usual