ens
nounUK /ˈɛnz/
Etymology From Late Latin ēns (“thing”), from esse (“to be”). See entity.
1
Human sciences, Philosophy, Sciences An entity or being; an existing thing, as opposed to a quality or attribute.
- Forms sphered in fire with trembling light array'd, / Ens without weight, and substance without shade […].1791, Erasmus Darwin, The Economy of Vegetation, J. Johnson, page 41:
- the Nature of the Supreme Ens1860, John Henry Macmahon, A treatise on metaphysics: chiefly in reference to revealed religion, page 195:
2
Alchemy, Chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Pseudoscience Historical Something supposed to condense within itself all the virtues and qualities of a substance from which it is extracted; an essence, an active principle.
- Here he states that there are five ‘active principles’ – the five Enses or entia – that influence our bodies and give rise to disease […]2006, Philip Ball, The Devil's Doctor, Arrow, published 2007, page 245:
- Derived terms
- ens entium, ens reale