genus

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noun ge·nus \ ˈjē-nəs , ˈje- \

Definition of genus

plural genera play \ˈje-nə-rə\ also genuses

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 (see phylogenetic 2) 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

See genus defined for English-language learners

See genus defined for kids

Examples of genus in a Sentence

the crime novel, written from the criminal's perspective, is sometimes seen as a particular species of the detective story genus

Recent Examples of genus from the Web

Cladosporium, a genus of fungi, is the predominant mold.

— joseph a. gambardello, Philly.com, "Allergy alert: Ragweed is surging," 21 Aug. 2017
But, in this study, five of the 10 most common species of bacteria in the sponges were kinds that can potentially cause infections, including three species in the Acinetobacter genus, for instance, which can cause pneumonia.

— korin miller, SELF, "Your Sponge Holds a Disgusting Amount of Bacteria, BTW," 10 Aug. 2017
Enterococcus is a large genus of bacteria found in the human intestine and in human sewage pollution.

— jennifer larino, NOLA.com, "Swimmers, beware: These 9 Louisiana beaches have bacteria advisories," 11 July 2017
Based on isolated teeth and a bone fragment, the new genus and species was first described by Italian paleontologists in 2006.

— ashley strickland, CNN, "Jurassic-era crocodiles had T. rex teeth," 4 July 2017
The first specimen of Camarasaurus (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from Montana: the northernmost occurrence of the genus.

— brian switek, Scientific American Blog Network, "Jurassic Dinosaur Was a Jumbo Shrimp," 19 June 2017
This is a hugely useful and varied species of the genus Ocimum, varying in flavors and aromas.

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Plenty of choices when growing basil," 14 June 2017
Within the genus are deep reds, bright pinks, whites and bicolors.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Plant Doctor: Color up with crinum lilies," 7 June 2017
They team found that these cockroaches emerge at dusk to eat pollen from many native plant species, including evening primrose, and lay their eggs, or ootecae, only on a genus of bromeliad plants called Puya.

— National Geographic, "This Cockroach May Pollinate Flowers—Extremely Rare Find," 26 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'genus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of genus

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

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First Known Use: 1551

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genus Synonyms

Synonyms

bracket, category, classification, division, family, class, grade, group, kind, league, order, rank (s), rubric, set, species, tier, type

Related Words

description, feather, ilk, kidney, like, manner, nature, sort; branch, section, speciality, specialty, subclass, subdivision, subgroup, subspecies, variety; breed, race; generation; heading, label, title

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

GENUS Defined for English Language Learners

genus

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noun

Definition of genus for English Language Learners

biology : a group of related animals or plants that includes several or many different species

GENUS Defined for Kids

genus

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noun ge·nus \ ˈjē-nəs \

Definition of genus for Students

plural genera \ˈje-nə-rə\

:a group of related living things (as plants or animals) that ranks below the family in scientific classification and is made up of one or more species

Medical Dictionary

genus

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noun ge·nus \ ˈjē-nəs , ˈjen-əs \

medical Definition of genus

plural genera play \ˈjen-ə-rə\

: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 designated by a Latin or latinized capitalized singular noun