taxon

noun

tax·​on ˈtak-ˌsän How to pronounce taxon (audio)
plural taxa ˈtak-sə How to pronounce taxon (audio) also taxons
1
: a scientifically classified group or entity : a taxonomic unit (such as a genus or order) of any rank
Like higher taxa, subspecies are also partly objective but partly based on human decision.Stephen Jay Gould
… we know from the fossil record that this is a relict taxon … originating 13 million years ago …Bernard Wood et al.
2
: the name applied to a taxonomic group in a formal system of nomenclature
The marine triclads are formally subsumed in the taxon Maricola …Seth Tyler

Examples of taxon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With its unique genetic fingerprint, the unknown Commiphora species most likely represented an extinct taxon once native to the region surrounding the Judean Desert, according to the study. Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024 Some organisms appear to go extinct only to reappear in the record millions of years later, what experts call a Lazarus taxon. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2024 But while well-recorded in the world today, with some 195 species in a single taxon of ant-mimics called the Myrmarachne, these spiders are not well represented in fossil finds. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024 In a new study in Nature Communications, the researchers identify the likely cause: a type of bacterium called Bisgaard taxon 45. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023 Again And Again To start this process, the study authors chose 19 common techniques for estimating an extinct animal’s mass and applied them to five separate species similar to the temnospondyls, though not members of the taxon themselves. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2022 The goal of this study was to develop a reliable method of electroejaculation in the rhinoceros by designing a rectal probe that appropriately fits the anatomy of this taxon and refining the procedure. Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 9 Sep. 2011 In fact, according to a study in Palaeontology, the temnospondyls — a taxon of primitive amphibians that lived around 330 million to 120 million years ago and looked a lot like crocodiles — came in a variety of sizes. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2022 Researchers believe this taxon is unique to the southern reaches of the region. Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2013

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'taxon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Taxon, extracted from Taxonomie taxonomy, with -on functioning as a suffix, based on the Greek neuter noun and participle ending — more at -on entry 2

Note: German Taxon was introduced by the philosopher and historian of the natural sciences Adolf Meyer-Abich (1893-1971) in Logik der Morphologie im Rahmen einer Logik der gesamten Biologie (Berlin, 1926), p. 127.

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of taxon was in 1929

Dictionary Entries Near taxon

Cite this Entry

“Taxon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taxon. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

taxon

noun
tax·​on ˈtak-ˌsän How to pronounce taxon (audio)
plural taxa -sə How to pronounce taxon (audio) also taxons
1
: a taxonomic group or entity
2
: the name applied to a taxonomic group in a formal system of nomenclature

More from Merriam-Webster on taxon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!