n., pl., tab·u·lae ra·sae (tăb'yə-lē' rä'sē, -zē).
- The mind before it receives the impressions gained from experience.
- The unformed, featureless mind in the philosophy of John Locke.
- A need or an opportunity to start from the beginning.
[Medieval Latin tabula rāsa : Latin tabula, tablet + Latin rāsa, feminine of rāsus, erased.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
