instinct1

[in-stingkt] /ˈɪn stɪŋkt/
noun
1.
an inborn pattern of activity or tendency to action common to a given biological species.
2.
a natural or innate impulse, inclination, or tendency.
3.
a natural aptitude or gift:
an instinct for making money.
4.
natural intuitive power.
Origin
1375-1425; late Middle English < Latin instinctus prompting, instigation, enthusiasm, equivalent to *insting(uere) (in- in-2 + *sting(u)ere presumably, to prick; see distinct) + -tus suffix of v. action
Synonyms
3. genius, knack, faculty, talent.

instinct2

[in-stingkt] /ɪnˈstɪŋkt/
adjective
1.
filled or infused with some animating principle (usually followed by with):
instinct with life.
2.
Obsolete. animated by some inner force.
Origin
1530-40; < Latin instinctus excited, roused, inspired, past participle of *insting(u)ere; see instinct1
Examples from the web for instinct
  • Among his gifts was a powerful physical instinct, almost a sixth sense for knowing how nature should work.
  • instinct might suggest that a full-throttle, intense cheese deserves a great wine.
  • The natural instinct with small yards is to choose only compact, ground-hugging plants.
  • Winemakers today must rely on what winemakers have relied on for millennia: instinct and past experience.
  • Amazing because it was basic instinct in its finest form.
  • But her own survival instinct may have saved her life.
  • Plays with instinct but is generally lacking in athleticism.
  • But he lacks instinct and doesn't use his hands well to shed blockers.
  • The play was a combination of instinct, practice and the emphasis on forcing fumbles by defenses.
  • Redbones are said to possess a natural treeing instinct and hunt everything from raccoons to cougars.
British Dictionary definitions for instinct

instinct

noun (ˈɪnstɪŋkt)
1.
the innate capacity of an animal to respond to a given stimulus in a relatively fixed way
2.
inborn intuitive power
3.
a natural and apparently innate aptitude
adjective (ɪnˈstɪŋkt)
4.
(rare) (postpositive) often foll by with
  1. animated or impelled (by)
  2. imbued or infused (with)
Word Origin
C15: from Latin instinctus roused, from instinguere to incite; compare instigate
Word Origin and History for instinct
n.

early 15c., "a prompting," from Latin instinctus "instigation, impulse," noun use of past participle of instinguere "to incite, impel," from in- "on" (see in- (2)) + stinguere "prick, goad," from PIE *steig- "to prick, stick, pierce" (see stick (v.)). Meaning "animal faculty of intuitive perception" is from mid-15c., from notion of "natural prompting." Sense of "innate tendency" is first recorded 1560s.

instinct in Medicine

instinct in·stinct (ĭn'stĭngkt')
n.

  1. An inborn pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a species and is often a response to specific environmental stimuli.

  2. A powerful motivation or impulse.

in·stinc'tive or in·stinc'tu·al (ĭn-stĭngk'chōō-əl) adj.
instinct in Science
instinct
  (ĭn'stĭngkt')   
An inherited tendency of an organism to behave in a certain way, usually in reaction to its environment and for the purpose of fulfilling a specific need. The development and performance of instinctive behavior does not depend upon the specific details of an individual's learning experiences. Instead, instinctive behavior develops in the same way for all individuals of the same species or of the same sex of a species. For example, birds will build the form of nest typical of their species although they may never have seen such a nest being built before. Some butterfly species undertake long migrations to wintering grounds that they have never seen. Behavior in animals often reflects the influence of a combination of instinct and learning. The basic song pattern of many bird species is inherited, but it is often refined by learning from other members of the species. Dogs that naturally seek to gather animals such as sheep or cattle into a group are said to have a herding instinct, but the effective use of this instinct by the dog also requires learning on the dog's part. Instinct, as opposed to reflex, is usually used of inherited behavior patterns that are more complex or sometimes involve a degree of interaction with learning processes.
instinct in Culture

instinct definition


Behavior that is not learned but passed between generations by heredity.