Main Entry: ge·nus

Pronunciation: \ˈjē-nəs, ˈje-\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural gen·era \ˈje-nə-rə\ also ge·nus·es

Etymology: Latin gener-, genus birth, race, kind — more at kin

Date: 1551

1 : a class, kind, or group marked by common characteristics or by one common characteristic; specifically : a category of biological classification ranking between the family and the species, comprising structurally or phylogenetically related species or an isolated species exhibiting unusual differentiation, and being designated by a Latin or latinized capitalized singular noun
2 : a class of objects divided into several subordinate species