the scientific study of plants or animals (more observational than experimental) usually published in popular magazines rather than in academic journals
nature study
Noun
the study of animals and plants in the natural world (usually at an elementary level)
navel-gazing
Noun
literally, the contemplation of one's navel, which is an idiom usually meaning complacent self-absorption
noumenon
Noun
the intellectual conception of a thing as it is in itself, not as it is known through perception
necromancy
Noun
conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying
necromancy
Noun
the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world
nuisance
Noun
(law) a broad legal concept including anything that disturbs the reasonable use of your property or endangers life and health or is offensive
nuisance
Noun
a bothersome annoying person
nook and cranny
Noun
something remote
nooks and crannies
Noun
something remote
natural law
Noun
a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature and essential to or binding upon human society
numerical quantity
Noun
a quantity expressed as a number
negative stimulation
Noun
something causing antagonism or loss of interest
negative reinforcing stimulus
Noun
a reinforcing stimulus whose removal serves to decrease the likelihood of the response that produced it
negative reinforcer
Noun
a reinforcing stimulus whose removal serves to decrease the likelihood of the response that produced it
negative stimulus
Noun
a stimulus with undesirable consequences
nebular hypothesis
Noun
(cosmology) the theory that the solar system evolved from a hot gaseous nebula
nitty-gritty
Noun
the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
name part
Noun
the role of the character after whom the play is named
nature worship
Noun
a system of religion that deifies and worships natural forces and phenomena
nub
Noun
the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
nub
Noun
a small piece
nub
Noun
a small lump or protuberance
nihilism
Noun
a revolutionary doctrine that advocates destruction of the social system for its own sake
nihilism
Noun
complete denial of all established authority and institutions
nihilism
Noun
the delusion that things, or everything, including the self, do not exist
no-goal
Noun
a nonexistent goal
natural science
Noun
the sciences involved in the study of the physical world and its phenomena
nescience
Noun
ignorance (especially of orthodox beliefs)
nativism
Noun
(philosophy) the philosophical theory that some ideas are innate
nativism
Noun
the policy of perpetuating native cultures (in opposition to acculturation)
naturalism
Noun
(philosophy) the doctrine that the world can be understood in scientific terms without recourse to spiritual or supernatural explanations
naturalism
Noun
an artistic movement in 19th century France
nominalism
Noun
(philosophy) the doctrine that the various objects labeled by the same term have nothing in common but their name
naive realism
Noun
(philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that physical objects continue to exist when not perceived
non-Euclidean geometry
Noun
(mathematics) geometry based on axioms different from Euclid's
norm
Noun
a statistic describing the location of a distribution
norm
Noun
a standard or model or pattern regarded as typical
numerical analysis
Noun
(mathematics) the branch of mathematics that studies algorithms for approximating solutions to problems in the infinitesimal calculus
normal distribution
Noun
a theoretical distribution with finite mean and variance
normal curve
Noun
a symmetrical curve representing the normal distribution
neuroanatomy
Noun
the anatomy of the nervous system
neonatology
Noun
that branch of pediatric medicine concerned with the newborn
nonlinear correlation
Noun
any correlation in which the rates of change of the variables is not constant
negative correlation
Noun
a correlation in which large values of one variable are associated with small values of the other
nonparametric statistics
Noun
the branch of statistics dealing with variables without making assumptions about the form or the parameters of their distribution
nephrology
Noun
the branch of medicine concerned with the kidney - its development and anatomy and physiology and disorders
nuclear medicine
Noun
the branch of medicine that uses radioactive materials either to image a patient's body or to destroy diseased cells
nonparametric statistic
Noun
a statistic computed without knowledge of the form or the parameters of the distribution from which observations are drawn
neurology
Noun
(neurology) the branch of medicine that deals with the nervous system and its disorders