conatus

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: co=na=tus

CIDE DICTIONARY

conatus, n. [L., fr. conatus, p. p. of conari to attempt.].

 A natural tendency inherent in a body to develop itself; an attempt; an effort.  [1913 Webster]
"What conatus could give prickles to the porcupine or hedgehog, or to the sheep its fleece?"  [1913 Webster]

ROGET THESAURUS

conatus

Tendency

N tendency, aptness, aptitude, proneness, proclivity, bent, turn, tone, bias, set, leaning to, predisposition, inclination, propensity, susceptibility, conatus, nisus, liability, quality, nature, temperament, idiocrasy, idiosyncrasy, cast, vein, grain, humor, mood, drift, conduciveness, conducement, applicability, subservience, tending, conducive, working towards, in a fair way to, calculated to, liable, subservient, useful, subsidiary, for, whither.