native

na•tive

[[t]ˈneɪ tɪv[/t]] adj.

1) being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being:

one's native land[/ex]

2) belonging to a person by birth or to a thing by nature; inherent:

native ability[/ex]

3) pan belonging to or originating in a certain place; indigenous:

native dress[/ex]

4) cvb born in a particular place:

a native Chicagoan[/ex]

5) peo ling. of or pertaining to something first acquired by a person:

one's native language[/ex]

6) remaining or growing in a natural state:

the desert's native beauty[/ex]

7) originating naturally in a particular country or region, as animals or plants

8) (of metals) occurring in nature pure or uncombined

9) cmp

a) designed for use with a specific type of computer:

writing native applications for 32-bit PCs[/ex]

b) cmp internal to a specific application program:

to view the file in its native format[/ex]

10) archaic closely related, as by birth

11) off sometimes off. one of the people indigenous to a place, esp. as distinguished from foreigners, colonizers, etc.:

the natives of Chile[/ex]

12) a person born in a particular place or country:

a native of Ohio[/ex]

13) bio an animal, plant, etc., that is indigenous to a particular region

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- go native

Etymology: 1325–75; < MF < L nātīvus inborn, natural, from nāt(us) (ptp. of nāscī to be born) na′tive•ly, adv. na′tive•ness, n. usage: Definition19is sometimes taken to be offensive because of colonialist and racial overtones. However, definition20is a neutral usage.