species

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Latin speciēs (“appearance; quality”), from speciō (“see”) + -iēs suffix signifying abstract noun.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈspiːʃiːz/
• (US) IPA: /ˈspiːsiːz/, /ˈspiːʃiːz/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

species (plural species)

1. A group of plants or animals having similar appearance.

   This species of animal is unique to the area.

2. (biology, taxonomy) A rank in the classification of organisms, below genus and above subspecies; a taxon at that rank
   • Darwin, On the Origin of Species:

     Hence, in determining whether a form should be ranked as a species or a variety, the opinion of naturalists having sound judgment and wide experience seems the only guide to follow.

   • 1992, Rudolf M. Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, page vii

     Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants.

3. (mineralogy) A mineral with a unique chemical formula whose crystals belong to a unique crystallographic system.
4. (obsolete) The image of something cast on a surface, or reflected from a surface, or refracted through a lens or telescope; a reflection.

   I cast the species of the Sun onto a sheet of paper through a telescope.

5. (Roman Catholicism) Either of the two elements of the Eucharist after they have been consecrated, so named because they retain the image of the bread and wine before their transubstantiation into the body and blood of Christ.

Usage notes

• specie is a separate word that means coin money, not the singular version of species.
• (biology, taxonomy, rank in the classification of organisms): See species name.

Derived terms

chemical species ring species

endangered species

subspecies

Related terms

speciate speciation specie specific

speciose specious spectacle spectacular

speculate speculation speculative speculator

See also

family genus kingdom

order phylum race

variety binomial nomenclature

Translations

group of plants or animals having similar appearance

Basque: espezie (eu) Catalan: espècie (ca) f. Czech: druh (cs) Danish: art (da) c. Finnish: laji (fi) French: espèce (fr) f. German: Gattung (de) f.

Norwegian: art (no) m. Polish: gatunek (pl) m. Portuguese: espécie (pt) Romanian: specie (ro) Russian: вид (ru) (vid) m. Scottish Gaelic: gnè (gd) f., seòrsa (gd) m. Spanish: especie (es)

rank in a taxonomic classification

Basque: espezie (eu) Catalan: espècie (ca) f. Czech: druh (cs) m. Danish: art (da) c. Finnish: laji (fi) Italian: specie (it) f. Japanese: 種 (ja) (shu) (しゅ)(academic), 類 (ja) (rui) (るい), 種類 (ja) (shurui) (しゅるい)(colloquial) Khmer: ប្រភេទ (km) (bro phet)

Macedonian: вид (mk) (vid) m. Polish: gatunek (pl) m. Portuguese: espécie (pt) Russian: вид (ru) (vid) Scottish Gaelic: gnè (gd) f., seòrsa (gd) m. Spanish: especie (es) Swedish: art (sv) c. Turkish: tür (tr)

mineralogy: mineral with a unique chemical formula

Catalan: espècie (ca) f.

Finnish: kivilaji (fi)

the image of an object

Catalan: espècie (ca) f.

Finnish: heijastus (fi)

the Eucharist after consecration in Catholicism

Catalan: espècie (ca) f.

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Mandarin: 種, 种 (zhǒng); 類, 类 (lèi); 種類, 种类 (zhǒnglèi) Danish: art (da) c. Dutch: soort (nl) f. Esperanto: specio (eo) French: espèce (fr) f. German: Art (de) f., Spezies (de) f. Hungarian: fajta (hu) (1), faj (hu) (2,3) Indonesian: spesies, jenis Interlingua: specie

Italian: specie (it) f., (plural: speci) Lithuanian: rūšis f. Portuguese: espécie (pt) f. Romanian: specie f. Slovene: vrsta f. Spanish: especie (es) f. Swedish: art (sv) c.

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, 1989

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Latin

Wikipedia ^la

Etymology

From speciō (“see”) + -iēs suffix signifying abstract noun.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA: /ˈspe.ki.eːs/

  Audio (Classical)

  (file)

• (Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈspe.tʃi.ɛs/

  Audio (Ecclesiastical)

  (file)

Noun

speciēs (genitive speciēī); f, fifth declension

1. a seeing, view, look
2. a spectacle, sight
3. external appearance; general outline or shape
4. semblance, pretence, pretext, outward show
5. show, display
6. (figuratively) vision, dream, apparition
7. (figuratively) honor, reputation
8. (figuratively) a kind, quality, species
9. (law, later) a special case

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	speciēs	speciēs
genitive	speciēī	speciērum
dative	speciēī	speciēbus
accusative	speciem	speciēs
ablative	speciē	speciēbus
vocative	speciēs	speciēs

Descendants

English: species French: espèce, épice Italian: specie

Portuguese: espécie Romanian: specie Spanish: especia, especie