phylum

American  

[fahy-luhm] / ˈfaɪ ləm /

noun

phyla plural

1. Biology. the primary subdivision of a taxonomic kingdom, grouping together all classes of organisms that have the same body plan.

2. Linguistics. a category consisting of language stocks that, because of cognates in vocabulary, are considered likely to be related by common origin.

---

phylum British  

/ ˈfaɪləm /

noun

1. a major taxonomic division of living organisms that contain one or more classes. An example is the phylum Arthropoda (insects, crustaceans, arachnids, etc, and myriapods)

2. any analogous group, such as a group of related language families or linguistic stocks

---

phylum Scientific  

/ fī′ləm /

phyla plural

1. A group of organisms ranking above a class and below a kingdom.

2. See Table at taxonomy

---

phylum Cultural  

1. plur. phyla One of the major divisions of the kingdoms of living things; the second-largest standard unit of biological classification. The arthropods, chordates, and mollusks are phyla. Phyla in the plant kingdom are frequently called divisions. (See Linnean classification.)

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• phylar
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• phyla
  plural

Etymology

Origin of phylum

1875–80; < New Latin < Greek phŷlon tribe, stock; see phylon

Explanation

If someone asks you what you have in common with the Antarctic icefish, you can say that you both belong to the same phylum, meaning the same taxonomic group: you are both vertebrates. Biology types are probably already familiar with using the word phylum as a way to classify animals and plants. Mammals, including humans, are part of the phylum chordata, which also includes fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. As you can see that’s a very broad category. Phylum comes above class and below kingdom in the biological classification system. The ranks get increasingly narrow, working all the way down to species, which is a closely related group.

Example Sentences

Phylum Arthropoda includes animals that have been successful in colonizing terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial habitats.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Phylum Arthropoda is the largest phylum in the animal world, and insects form the single largest class within this phylum.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Phylum Proteobacteria is one of up to 52 bacteria phyla.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Fungi have evolved mutualisms with numerous insects in Phylum Arthropoda: jointed, legged invertebrates.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

The leech is a fresh-water parasitic invertebrate belonging to the Phylum Annelida.

From Bloodletting Instruments in the National Museum of History and Technology by Appel, Toby