genus
genus Lexical Profile
genus Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A principal taxonomic category in biology that ranks above species and below family, grouping together closely related organisms and forming the first capitalized word of a scientific binomial name.
"Lions, tigers, and jaguars all belong to the genus Panthera."
A general class, kind, or group of things that share common attributes and can be divided into subordinate kinds or species (especially in logic and philosophy).
"The critic regarded the novel as an entirely new genus of speculative fiction."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'genus' (a taxonomic category, pronounced JEE-nuhs) with 'genius' (exceptional intellectual ability, pronounced JEEN-yuhs). In formal and scientific writing, the Latin plural 'genera' (pronounced JEN-er-uh) is strongly preferred over 'genuses'.
• Rhymes for genus
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed directly from Latin 'genus', meaning 'race, stock, kind, or family', which derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *gene- ('to give birth' or 'beget'), also the source of English 'kin', 'gene', and 'generate'.