as the agent of or on someone's part (usually expressed as "on behalf of" rather than "in behalf of"); "the guardian signed the contract on behalf of the minor child"; "this letter is written on behalf of my client";
for someone's benefit (usually expressed as `in behalf' rather than `on behalf' and usually with a possessive); "in your behalf"; "campaigning in his own behalf"; "spoke a good word in his friend's behalf"
the complex of emotional and intellectual attributes that determine a person's characteristic actions and reactions; "it is his nature to help others"
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized; "it is the nature of fire to burn"; "the true nature of jealousy"
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"
the natural physical world including plants and animals and landscapes etc.; "they tried to preserve nature as they found it"
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"
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in order of their proximity to the sun; viewed from the constellation Hercules, all the planets rotate around the sun in a counterclockwise direction
any celestial body (other than comets or satellites) that revolves around a star
any imaginary place where spiritual beings (demons or fairies or angels or the like) abide; "science has emptied the spirit world of its former inhabitants"
not restricted to one sect or school or party; "religious training in a nonsectarian atmosphere"; "nonsectarian colleges"; "a wide and unsectarian interest in religion"- Bertrand Russell
the raising of plants or animals; "the culture of oysters"
(biology) the growing of microorganisms in a nutrient medium (such as gelatin or agar); "the culture of cells in a Petri dish"
the tastes in art and manners that are favored by a social group
the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization; "the developing drug culture"; "the reason that the agency is doomed to inaction has something to do with the FBI culture"
a particular society at a particular time and place; "early Mayan civilization"