fem. proper name, from French Natalie, from Church Latin Natalia, from Latin (dies) natalis "birthday," in Church Latin, "Christmas Day," from natalis "pertaining to birth or origin," from natus, past participle of nasci "to be born" (Old Latin gnasci), from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget." Probably originally a name for one born on Christmas. A top-20 name for girls born in the U.S. from 2005 to 2012.

late 14c., "provide with bedding," from litter (n.). Meaning "bring forth, give birth to" (of animals or, contemptuously, of humans) is from late 15c. Meaning "to strew with objects" is from 1713. Transitive sense of "to scatter in a disorderly way" is from 1731. Related: Littered; littering.

"of or involving very low temperatures," 1896, from cryo- "freezing" + -genic "having to do with production" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget"). Cryogen "freezing mixture, that which produces cold" is attested from 1875. Related: Cryogenics (1958).

1911, from German Gen, coined 1905 by Danish scientist Wilhelm Ludvig Johannsen (1857-1927), from Greek genea "generation, race" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget"). De Vries had earlier called them pangenes. Gene pool is attested from 1946.

"gene which can transform a normal cell into a tumor cell," 1969, from onco- "tumor" + -gene, from root of Greek gignere (perfective genui) "to beget, produce" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget"). Related: Oncogenesis "formation or production of tumors" (1932); oncogenic (1949).

early 15c., "existing from birth," from Late Latin innatus "inborn, native, natural" (source also of French inné, Spanish and Italian innato), past participle of innasci "to be born in, originate in," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + nasci "to be born" (Old Latin gnasci), from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups. Opposed to acquired. Related: Innately; innateness.

supposed influence of a sire on the offspring of a female by a later sire, 1893, from Greek tele "far off" (from PIE root *kwel- (2) "far" in space or time) + -geneia "origin," from -genes "born" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget").

"of a kind disposition; gracious; kind; benignant; favorable," early 14c., from Old French benigne "kind, benign, merciful, gracious" (12c., Modern French bénin, fem. bénigne), from Latin benignus "kindly, kindhearted, friendly, generous," literally "well born," from bene "well" (see bene-) + gignere "to bear, beget," from genus "birth" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget"). For similar sense evolution, compare gentle, kind (adj.), generous. Related: Benignly.

"the branch of biology which attempts to deduce the genesis and evolution of a phylum," 1869, from German Phylogenie, coined 1866 by German biologist Ernst Heinrich Haeckel from Greek phylon "race" (from PIE root *bheue- "to be, exist, grow") + -geneia "origin" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget"). Related: Phylogenic.

1847, in reference to ancient Rome, "tribe, clan, house (of families having a name and certain religious rites in common and a presumed common origin)," from Latin gens (genitive gentis) "race, clan, nation" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups).