natural



*big as life (and twice as ugly)

 and *large as life (and twice as ugly); bigger than life (and twice as ugly)
Cliché a colorful way of saying that a person or a thing appeared, often surprisingly or dramatically, in a particular place. (*Also: as ~.) The little child just stood there as big as life and laughed very hard. I opened the door, and there was Tom as large as life. I came home and found this cat in my chair, as big as life and twice as ugly.
See also: big, life

die a natural death

 
1. Lit. [for someone] to die by disease or old age rather than by violence or foul play. I hope to live to 100 and die a natural death. The police say she didn't die a natural death, and they are investigating.
2. Fig. [for something] to fade away or die down. I expect that all this excitement about the scandal will die a natural death. Most fads die a natural death.
See also: death, die, natural

*second nature to someone

easy and natural for someone. (*Typically: be ~; become ~.) Swimming is second nature to Jane. Flying a helicopter is no problem for Bob. It's become second nature to him.
See also: nature, second

die a death

  (British) also die a natural death (American & Australian)
to fail and end The principle of free health care for everyone is likely to die a death in the next ten years. The play, like so many others, died a natural death after only one week.
See also: death, die

natural-born

  (informal)
having the qualities and abilities which you need in order to be good at doing a particular thing (always before noun) Carl was a natural-born salesman, and quickly expanded the company's world-wide sales.

big as life

Also, large as life. In person, as in And there was Mary, big as life, standing right in front of me. This phrase transfers the same size as in real life (life-size) to an actual appearance. Sometimes this term is embellished with and quite as natural, presumably alluding to a likeness of a person or thing that closely resembles the real thing. A similar addition is and twice as natural, which doesn't make sense. [Late 1800s]
2. Also, larger than life; big as all outdoors. On a grand scale, as in The soap opera could well be called a larger-than-life drama, or That friend of his was as big as all outdoors. This phrase can be used either literally, for larger than life-size (second example) or figuratively. The phrase all outdoors has been used to compare something or someone to an immensity since the early 1800s.
See also: big, life

natural

see under big as life.

natural

n. someone with obvious natural talent. Can she ever dance! What a natural!

natural-born

mod. born with talent or skill. She is really a natural-born dancer.

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Lysistrata-Ancient Greek (Latinized)
KristiĀNa-Latvian
Gedalyahu-Biblical Hebrew
LoviisaLO-vee:-sahFinnish
Catherineka-tə-REEN (French), ka-TREEN (French), KATH-ə-rin (English), KATH-rin (English)French, English
Septima-Ancient Roman, Spanish