2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Nation  \Na"tion\,  n.  [F.  nation,  L.  natio  nation,  race,  orig.,  a 
  being  born,  fr  natus,  p.  p.  of  nasci,  to  be  born,  for 
  gnatus  gnasci  from  the  same  root  as  E.  kin.  [root]44.  See 
  {Kin}  kindred,  and  cf  {Cognate},  {Natal},  {Native}.] 
  1.  (Ethnol.)  A  part  or  division,  of  the  people  of  the  earth, 
  distinguished  from  the  rest  by  common  descent,  language, 
  or  institutions;  a  race;  a  stock. 
 
  All  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues. 
  --Rev.  vii.  9. 
 
  2.  The  body  of  inhabitants  of  a  country,  united  under  an 
  independent  government  of  their  own 
 
  A  nation  is  the  unity  of  a  people.  --Coleridge. 
 
  Praise  the  power  that  hath  made  and  preserved  us  a 
  nation.  --F.  S.  Key. 
 
  3.  Family;  lineage.  [Obs.]  --Chaucer. 
 
  4. 
  a  One  of  the  divisions  of  university  students  in  a 
  classification  according  to  nativity,  formerly  common 
  in  Europe. 
  b  (Scotch  Universities)  One  of  the  four  divisions  (named 
  from  the  parts  of  Scotland)  in  which  students  were 
  classified  according  to  their  nativity. 
 
  5.  A  great  number;  a  great  deal  --  by  way  of  emphasis;  as  a 
  nation  of  herbs.  --Sterne. 
 
  {Five  nations}.  See  under  {Five}. 
 
  {Law  of  nations}.  See  {International  law},  under 
  {International},  and  {Law}. 
 
  Syn:  people;  race.  See  {People}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  nation 
  n  1:  a  politically  organized  body  of  people  under  a  single 
  government;  "the  state  has  elected  a  new  president" 
  [syn:  {state},  {country},  {land},  {commonwealth},  {res 
  publica},  {body  politic}] 
  2:  the  people  of  a  nation  or  country  or  a  community  of  persons 
  bound  by  a  common  heritage;  "a  nation  of  Catholics";  "the 
  whole  country  worshipped  him"  [syn:  {nationality},  {land}, 
  {country},  {a  people}] 
  3:  the  territory  occupied  by  a  nation;  "he  returned  to  the  land 
  of  his  birth";  "he  visited  several  European  countries" 
  [syn:  {country},  {state},  {land}] 
  4:  a  federation  of  tribes  (especially  native  American  tribes); 
  "the  Shawnee  nation" 

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