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species

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈspiːʃiz/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈspiʃiz, -siz/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(spēshēz, -sēz)

Inflections of 'species' (n): npl: species

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
spe•cies /ˈspiʃiz, -siz/USA pronunciation   n. [countable], pl. -cies. 
  1. a distinct group, sort, or kind of individuals having some common characteristics, as of animals or plants that can breed among themselves, but not outside their group.
  2. the human race;
    humankind:[the + ~]Is the species threatened with extinction?
See -spec-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
spe•cies  (spēshēz, -sēz),USA pronunciation n., pl. -cies, adj. 
n. 
  1. a class of individuals having some common characteristics or qualities;
    distinct sort or kind.
  2. Biologythe major subdivision of a genus or subgenus, regarded as the basic category of biological classification, composed of related individuals that resemble one another, are able to breed among themselves, but are not able to breed with members of another species.
  3. Philosophy[Logic.]
    • one of the classes of things included with other classes in a genus.
    • the set of things within one of these classes.
  4. Religion[Eccles.]
    • the external form or appearance of the bread or the wine in the Eucharist.
    • either of the Eucharistic elements.
  5. Currency[Obs.]specie;
    coin.
  6. the species, the human race;
    mankind:a study of the species.

adj. 
  1. Botany[Hort.]pertaining to a plant that is a representative member of a species, one that is not a hybrid or variety:a species rose; a species gladiolus.
  • Latin speciēs appearance, form, sort, kind, equivalent. to spec(ere) to look, regard + -iēs abstract noun, nominal suffix
  • 1545–55

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
species /ˈspiːʃiːz; Latin: ˈspiːʃɪˌiːz/ n ( pl -cies)
    • any of the taxonomic groups into which a genus is divided, the members of which are capable of interbreeding: often containing subspecies, varieties, or races. A species is designated in italics by the genus name followed by the specific name, for example Felis domesticus (the domestic cat)Abbreviation: sp
    • the animals of such a group
    • any group of related animals or plants not necessarily of this taxonomic rank
  1. (modifier) denoting a plant that is a natural member of a species rather than a hybrid or cultivar: a species clematis
  2. a group of objects or individuals, all sharing at least one common attribute, that forms a subdivision of a genus
  3. a kind, sort, or variety: a species of treachery
  4. chiefly the outward form of the bread and wine in the Eucharist
  5. obsolete an outward appearance or form
Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin: appearance, from specere to look
'species' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "species" in the title:

'species of animals and plants' vs 'species of animal and plant'
329 species in genera of 4 and upwards
430 species of four million animals
5,000 plants and 500 species
a considerable diversity of species
a species of bird(s), animal(s), plant(s)
A species of oak is <frequented> by an insect
a species on the edge of extinction
a species/a kind/ a type of
a widespread ancestral species
a/the with species
accumulate enough for an entirely new species to evolve
All species of tiger is/are dangerous. [singular plural verb]
all these species of animals
Analysis of populations of species
aquatic life and other species
Are species names proper nouns?
as a species
as do a few other New World species
as if they were some different species
Bust-fires (stops)/(is stopping) the growth of some species on the globe.
but also the many thousands of other species that live with, including humans
But because complex species interactions
But our species takes parental failings much more to heart
by an amiable benefactor of his species resident at Tooting
Can I use the 'the whole species' to refer to a subspecies?
cannot tell <the least> which of two species....
cod species
commensal species
conserved cross species
more...

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