Five nations

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. [1913 Webster]

All nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. --Rev. vii. 9. [1913 Webster]

2. The body of inhabitants of a country, united under an independent government of their own. [1913 Webster]

A nation is the unity of a people. --Coleridge. [1913 Webster]

Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation. --F. S. Key. [1913 Webster]

3. Family; lineage. [Obs.] --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

5. A great number; a great deal; -- by way of emphasis; as, a nation of herbs. --Sterne. [1913 Webster]

{Five nations}. See under {Five}.

{Law of nations}. See {International law}, under {International}, and {Law}. [1913 Webster]

Syn: people; race. See {People}. [1913 Webster]