NOUN (5)

1. the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized;
- Example: "it is the nature of fire to burn"
- Example: "the true nature of jealousy"

2. a causal agent creating and controlling things in the universe;
- Example: "the laws of nature"
- Example: "nature has seen to it that men are stronger than women"

3. the natural physical world including plants and animals and landscapes etc.;
- Example: "they tried to preserve nature as they found it"

4. the complex of emotional and intellectual attributes that determine a person's characteristic actions and reactions;
- Example: "it is his nature to help others"

5. a particular type of thing;
- Example: "problems of this type are very difficult to solve"
- Example: "he's interested in trains and things of that nature"
- Example: "matters of a personal nature"

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Nature \Na"ture\ (?; 135), n. [F., fr. L. natura, fr. natus
   born, produced, p. p. of nasci to be born. See Nation.]
   1. The existing system of things; the universe of matter,
      energy, time and space; the physical world; all of
      creation. Contrasted with the world of mankind, with its
      mental and social phenomena.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

            But looks through nature up to nature's God. --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

            When, in the course of human Events, it becomes
            necessary for one People to dissolve the Political
            Bonds which have connected them with another, ans to
            assume among the powers of the earth the separate
            and equal Station which the Laws of Nature and of
            Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the
            Opinions of Mankind requires that they should
            declare the causes that impel them to the
            Separation.                           --Declaration
                                                  of
                                                  Independence

            Nature has caprices which art can not imitate.
                                                  --Macaulay.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The personified sum and order of causes and effects; the
      powers which produce existing phenomena, whether in the
      total or in detail; the agencies which carry on the
      processes of creation or of being; -- often conceived of
      as a single and separate entity, embodying the total of
      all finite agencies and forces as disconnected from a
      creating or ordering intelligence; as, produced by nature;
      the forces of nature.
      [1913 Webster]

            I oft admire
            How Nature, wise and frugal, could commit
            Such disproportions.                  --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. The established or regular course of things; usual order
      of events; connection of cause and effect.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Conformity to that which is natural, as distinguished from
      that which is artificial, or forced, or remote from actual
      experience.
      [1913 Webster]

            One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
                                                  --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. The sum of qualities and attributes which make a person or
      thing what it is, as distinct from others; native
      character; inherent or essential qualities or attributes;
      peculiar constitution or quality of being.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thou, therefore, whom thou only canst redeem,
            Their nature also to thy nature join,
            And be thyself man among men on earth. --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. Hence: Kind, sort; character; quality.
      [1913 Webster]

            A dispute of this nature caused mischief. --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. Physical constitution or existence; the vital powers; the
      natural life. "My days of nature." --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            Oppressed nature sleeps.              --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   8. Natural affection or reverence.
      [1913 Webster]

            Have we not seen
            The murdering son ascend his parent's bed,
            Through violated nature force his way? --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

   9. Constitution or quality of mind or character.
      [1913 Webster]

            A born devil, on whose nature
            Nurture can never stick.              --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            That reverence which is due to a superior nature.
                                                  --Addison.
      [1913 Webster]

   Good nature, Ill nature. see under Good and Ill.

   In a state of nature.
      (a) Naked as when born; nude.
      (b) In a condition of sin; unregenerate.
      (c) Untamed; uncivilized.

   Nature printing, a process of printing from metallic or
      other plates which have received an impression, as by
      heavy pressure, of an object such as a leaf, lace, or the
      like.

   Nature worship, the worship of the personified powers of
      nature.

   To pay the debt of nature, to die.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Nature \Na"ture\, v. t.
   To endow with natural qualities. [Obs.]
   [1913 Webster]

         He [God] which natureth every kind.      --Gower.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

nature
    n 1: the essential qualities or characteristics by which
         something is recognized; "it is the nature of fire to
         burn"; "the true nature of jealousy"
    2: a causal agent creating and controlling things in the
       universe; "the laws of nature"; "nature has seen to it that
       men are stronger than women"
    3: the natural physical world including plants and animals and
       landscapes etc.; "they tried to preserve nature as they found
       it"
    4: the complex of emotional and intellectual attributes that
       determine a person's characteristic actions and reactions;
       "it is his nature to help others"
    5: a particular type of thing; "problems of this type are very
       difficult to solve"; "he's interested in trains and things of
       that nature"; "matters of a personal nature"

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

243 Moby Thesaurus words for "nature":
   Copernican universe, Einsteinian universe, Newtonian universe,
   Ptolemaic universe, air, all, all being, all creation, allness,
   anatomy, animus, aptitude, aroma, artlessness, atom,
   atomic particles, attribute, attributes, badge, being, bent, bias,
   blood, body-build, brand, breed, brute matter, building block,
   by nature, cachet, cast, category, character, characteristic,
   characteristics, chemical element, clan, class, color, complexion,
   component, composition, configuration, conformation, constituent,
   constituents, constitution, cosmos, countryside, crasis,
   created nature, created universe, creation, cut, denomination,
   description, designation, dharma, diathesis, differentia,
   differential, disposition, distinctive feature, earmark, earth,
   eccentricity, element, elementary particle, elementary unit,
   environment, essence, essentiality, ethos, everything that is,
   expanding universe, feather, feature, features, fiber, figure,
   fire, flavor, form, frame, framework, fundamental particle, genius,
   genre, genuineness, genus, grain, gust, habit, hallmark, hue,
   humor, humors, hyle, hypostasis, identity, idiocrasy, idiosyncrasy,
   ilk, impress, impression, inartificiality, inclination, index,
   individualism, individuality, intactness, keynote, kidney, kin,
   kind, label, leaning, line, lineaments, lot, macrocosm,
   macrocosmos, make, makeup, manner, mannerism, mark, marking,
   material, material world, materiality, matter, megacosm,
   mental set, metagalaxy, mettle, mind, mind-set, mold, molecule,
   monad, mould, natural man, natural state, natural world,
   naturalism, naturally, naturalness, number, odor, omneity,
   particularity, peculiarity, personality, persuasion, phylum,
   physical world, physique, plenum, predilection, predisposition,
   preference, primitiveness, pristineness, proclivity, propensity,
   properties, property, pulsating universe, quality, quirk, race,
   savor, scenery, seal, set, shape, sidereal universe, simplicity,
   singularity, slant, smack, somatotype, sort, specialty, species,
   spirit, stamp, state of nature, steady-state universe, strain,
   streak, stripe, structure, stuff, style, substance, substratum,
   suchness, sum of things, system, taint, tang, taste, temper,
   temperament, tendency, tenor, texture, the four elements,
   the like of, the likes of, token, tone, totality,
   totality of being, trait, tribe, trick, turn, turn of mind, twist,
   type, unaffectation, unaffectedness, unartificialness,
   unassumingness, undisguise, unit of being, universe,
   unpretentiousness, unspoiledness, variety, vein, virginity, warp,
   water, way, whole wide world, wide world, wildness, world,
   world without end



The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):

nature
 n.

    See has the X nature.


The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

has the X nature
nature

   (From Zen Buddhist koans of the form "Does an X have the
   Buddha-nature?") Common hacker construction for "is an X",
   used for humorous emphasis.  "Anyone who can't even use a
   program with on-screen help embedded in it truly has the
   loser nature!"  See also the X that can be Y is not the
   true X.

   [Jargon File]

   (1995-01-11)