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Lusus naturae

//ˈluːsəs nəˈtjʊəɹiː// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    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. historical

    "[…]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."

  2. 2
    a person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed wordnet
  3. 3
    An organism exhibiting marked such deviation from the norm, seeming to be the result of sportive design; a freak of nature. countable

    "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?"

Etymology

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.

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