n.
1.the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
2.a causal agent creating and controlling things in the universe
3.the natural physical world including plants and animals and landscapes etc.
4.the complex of emotional and intellectual attributes that determine a person's characteristic actions and reactions
5.a particular type of thing
Idiom of the Day
throw down the gauntlet
to challenge someone to a fight or to do something
The government threw down the gauntlet to the opposition party and told them to stop criticizing their policies without suggesting an alternative.