species

noun spe·cies \ ˈspē-(ˌ)shēz , -(ˌ)sēz \

Updated on: 19 May 2018

Definition of species

plural species

1 a : kind, sort

b : a class of individuals having common attributes and designated by a common name; specifically : a logical division of a genus or more comprehensive class

confessing sins in species and in number

c : the human race : human beings —often used with the

survival of the species in the nuclear age

d (1) : a category of biological classification ranking immediately below the genus or subgenus, comprising related organisms or populations potentially capable of interbreeding, and being designated by a binomial that consists of the name of a genus followed by a Latin or latinized uncapitalized noun or adjective agreeing grammatically with the genus name

(2) : an individual or kind belonging to a biological species

e : a particular kind of atomic nucleus, atom, molecule, or ion

2 : the consecrated eucharistic elements of the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Eucharist

3 a : a mental image; also : a sensible object

b : an object of thought correlative with a natural object

See species defined for English-language learners

See species defined for kids

Examples of species in a Sentence

There are approximately 8,000 species of ants.
All European domestic cattle belong to the same species.
laws that protect endangered species

Recent Examples of species from the Web

When their numbers plummeted, the reptile landed on the endangered species list.

— leah sottile, Longreads, "Bundyville Chapter One: A War in the Desert," 15 May 2018
Zoo New England is a participant in species survival plan, according to a statement.

— laney ruckstuhl, BostonGlobe.com, "New at the zoo: Foles the goat, named after quarterback that beat Patriots in Super Bowl," 10 May 2018
Ingicco and his team excavated an area in Kalinga, a Philippine province on the island of Luzon, and discovered a 75 percent complete skeleton whose bones belonged to a rhinoceros species that went extinct.

— NBC News, "Discovery suggests humans lived in Philippines much earlier than believed," 3 May 2018
Numbers have increased enough to convince top researchers from governmental organizations and NGOs to help push the animals off the endangered species list last year.

— adam popescu, Bloomberg.com, "What to Know Before You Go Tracking Snow Leopards at 13,000 Feet," 1 May 2018
The only other comparable disease outbreak occurred in the 1970s and 80s that nearly wiped out staghorn and elkhorn corals, which landed both on the endangered species list.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Mystery disease spreads, threatens coral reefs in the Lower Florida Keys | Miami Herald," 20 Apr. 2018
Frank Lyko, a German biologist, believes the marbled crawfish can be traced to a species called Procambarus fallax, which can only be found in the Satilla River that flows through Florida and Georgia.

— todd a. price, NOLA.com, "Mutant female crawfish invade Europe: report," 6 Feb. 2018
The government is even considering putting them on the endangered species list because their numbers have plummeted so low.

— molly marquand, Good Housekeeping, "8 Weeds You Should Actually Let Grow In Your Yard," 28 July 2016
This species was dubbed Silvisaurus condrayi because it was discovered in 1955 by Ottawa County rancher Warren Condray in a pasture on his land.

— matt campbell, kansascity, "'Armadillo on steroids': Kansas dinosaur returns to haunt KU | The Kansas City Star," 26 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of species

Middle English, from Latin, appearance, kind, species, from specere to look — more at spy

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

species Synonyms

Synonyms

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

branch, section, speciality, specialty, subclass, subdivision, subgroup, subspecies, variety;

breed, race;

generation;

heading, label, title;

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

species

adjective

Definition of species

: belonging to a biological species as distinguished from a horticultural variety

a species rose

First Known Use of species

1899

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

SPECIES Defined for English Language Learners

species

noun

Definition of species for English Language Learners

biology : a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants : a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus
: a particular group of things or people that belong together or have some shared quality

SPECIES Defined for Kids

species

noun spe·cies \ ˈspē-shēz , -sēz \

Definition of species for Students

plural species

1 : a group of similar living things that ranks below the genus in scientific classification and is made up of individuals able to produce offspring with one another

The one-humped camel is a different species from the two-humped camel.

2 : a class of things of the same kind and with the same name : kind, sort

Medical Dictionary

species

noun spe·cies \ ˈspē-(ˌ)shēz , -(ˌ)sēz \

medical Definition of species

plural species

1 a : a category of biological classification ranking immediately below the genus or subgenus, comprising related organisms or populations potentially capable of interbreeding, and being designated by a binomial that consists of the name of the genus followed by a Latin or latinized uncapitalized noun or adjective agreeing grammatically with the genus name

b : an individual or kind belonging to a biological species

2 : a particular kind of atomic nucleus, atom, molecule, or ion