5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Instinct \In*stinct"\ ([i^]n*st[i^][ng]kt"), verb (used with an object) To impress, as an animating power, or instinct. [Obs.] --Bentley.

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Instinct \In"stinct\ ([i^]n"st[i^][ng]kt), noun [L. instinctus instigation, impulse, fr. instinguere to instigate: cf. F. instinct. See {Instinct}, adjective]

1. Natural inward impulse; unconscious, involuntary, or unreasoning prompting to any mode of action, whether bodily, or mental, without a distinct apprehension of the end or object to be accomplished.

An instinct is a propensity prior to experience, and independent of instructions. --Paley.

An instinct is a blind tendency to some mode of action, independent of any consideration, on the part of the agent, of the end to which the action leads. --Whately.

An instinct is an agent which performs blindly and ignorantly a work of intelligence and knowledge. --Sir W. Hamilton.

By a divine instinct, men's minds mistrust Ensuing dangers. --Shak.

2. (Zo["o]l.) Specif., the natural, unreasoning, impulse by which an animal is guided to the performance of any action, without thought of improvement in the method.

The resemblance between what originally was a habit, and an instinct becomes so close as not to be distinguished. --Darwin.

3. A natural aptitude or knack; a predilection; as, an instinct for order; to be modest by instinct.

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Instinct \In*stinct"\, adjective [L. instinctus, p. p. of instinguere to instigate, incite; cf. instigare to instigate. Cf. {Instigate}, {Distinguish}.] Urged or stimulated from within; naturally moved or impelled; imbued; animated; alive; quick; as, birds instinct with life.

The chariot of paternal deity . . . Itself instinct with spirit, but convoyed By four cherubic shapes. --Milton.

A noble performance, instinct with sound principle. --Brougham.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

instinct

adjective

noun

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

120 Moby Thesaurus words for "instinct": a thing for, ability, affinity, aptitude, aptness, archetypal pattern, archetype, automatic response, automatic writing, automatism, bent, bias, blind impulse, brain wave, brainstorm, bump, caliber, capability, capacity, cast, collective unconscious, compulsiveness, conatus, conditioning, conduciveness, delight, diathesis, disposition, dower, dowry, drive, eagerness, echolalia, echopraxia, empathy, endowment, equipment, faculty, fancy, feel, feeling, feeling for, flair, flash, fleeting impulse, forte, genius, gift, gut response, id, impulse, inborn proclivity, inclination, inspiration, instinctiveness, intuition, involuntariness, involuntary impulse, knack, leaning, liability, libido, liking, long suit, makings, metier, natural endowment, natural gift, natural impulse, natural instinct, natural tendency, notion, parts, penchant, potential, power, powers, predilection, predisposition, prejudice, primitive self, probability, proclivity, proneness, propensity, qualification, quick hunch, readiness, reflex, reflex action, sensitivity, sensitivity to, sheer chemistry, sixth sense, skill, soft spot, speciality, strong flair, strong point, subconscious, subconscious urge, sudden thought, susceptibility, talent, talents, tendency, the goods, the stuff, tropism, turn, twist, unlearned capacity, unreasoning impulse, unwilledness, urge, vital impulse, warp, weakness, what it takes, willingness