holotype

noun ho·lo·type \ ˈhō-lə-ˌtīp , ˈhä- \

Definition of holotype

1 : the single specimen designated by an author as the type of a species or lesser taxon at the time of establishing the group

2 : the type of a species or lesser taxon designated at a date later than that of establishing a group or by a person other than the author of the taxon

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holotypic

play \ˌhō-lə-ˈti-pik, ˌhä-\ adjective

Recent Examples of holotype from the Web

In contrast, the main museum specimen defining the species—the species’s holotype—had been found nearly 170 feet underwater during a 2007 biodiversity survey.

— michael greshko, National Geographic, "Rare Ruby Seadragon Caught on Video for First Time," 13 Jan. 2017
In Franche-Comté, the region in which the holotype was discovered, ‘la vouivre’ (=the wyvern) is a legendary winged reptile.

— brian switek, Scientific American Blog Network, "Paleo Profile: The Wyvern Dinosaur," 5 May 2017
The holotype, or original example, of this species is available for public display and scientific study at a museum in Dalian, China.

— rachel brown, National Geographic, "New Birdlike Dinosaur Had Modern Feathers," 2 May 2017
In April 2016, Rouse and his colleagues traveled to the remote Recherche Archipelago, where the holotype had been found, in the hopes of spotting the creature in the wild.

— michael greshko, National Geographic, "Rare Ruby Seadragon Caught on Video for First Time," 13 Jan. 2017

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

First Known Use of holotype

1897

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Medical Dictionary

holotype

noun ho·lo·type \ ˈhō-lə-ˌtīp , ˈhäl-ə- \

medical Definition of holotype

1 : the single specimen designated by an author as the type of a species or lesser taxon at the time of establishing the group

2 : the type of a species or lesser taxon designated at a date later than that of establishing a group or by another person than the author of the taxon