n. [ L. instinctus instigation, impulse, fr. instinguere to instigate: cf. F. instinct. See Instinct, a. ] [ 1913 Webster ] 1. Natural inward impulse; unconscious, involuntary, or unreasoning prompting to any mode of action, whether bodily, or mental, without a distinct apprehension of the end or object to be accomplished. [ 1913 Webster ] An instinct is a propensity prior to experience, and independent of instructions. Paley. [ 1913 Webster ] An instinct is a blind tendency to some mode of action, independent of any consideration, on the part of the agent, of the end to which the action leads. Whately. [ 1913 Webster ] An instinct is an agent which performs blindly and ignorantly a work of intelligence and knowledge. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ] By a divine instinct, men's minds mistrust
Ensuing dangers. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. (Zool.) Specif., the natural, unreasoning, impulse by which an animal is guided to the performance of any action, without thought of improvement in the method. [ 1913 Webster ] The resemblance between what originally was a habit, and an instinct becomes so close as not to be distinguished. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. A natural aptitude or knack; a predilection; as, an instinct for order; to be modest by instinct. [ 1913 Webster ] | 
