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phyla

[fahy-luh]
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noun
  1. plural of phylum.
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phylon

[fahy-lon]
noun, plural phy·la [fahy-luh] /ˈfaɪ lə/.
  1. a group that has a genetic relationship or common origin, as a race.
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Origin of phylon

< New Latin < Greek phŷlon race, tribe, class, akin to phȳ́ein to bring forth, produce, be

phylum

[fahy-luh m]
noun, plural phy·la [fahy-luh] /ˈfaɪ lə/.
  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.Compare stock(def 13).
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Origin of phylum

1875–80; < New Latin < Greek phŷlon tribe, stock; see phylon
Related formsphy·lar, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for phyla

Historical Examples

  • Now the main divisions are often spoken of as phyla or races.

    Stories of the Universe: Animal Life

    B. Lindsay

  • The animal kingdom has a varying number of divisions, called branches, subkingdoms, or phyla.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide

    Augusta Foote Arnold

  • They belong to the two phyla Platyhelminthes (flat-worms) and Nemathelminthes (thread-worms, &c.).

  • As far back as the record extends they show no sign of becoming merged with other phyla in any synthetic group.

    Darwin and Modern Science

    A.C. Seward and Others

  • It has, however, been held that certain other Cryptogamic phyla had a common origin with the Ferns.

    Darwin and Modern Science

    A.C. Seward and Others

British Dictionary definitions for phyla

phyla

noun
  1. the plural of phylum
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phylum

noun plural -la (-lə)
  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
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Word Origin

C19: New Latin, from Greek phulon race
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for phyla

phylum

n.

"division of the plant or animal kingdom," 1868, Modern Latin, coined by French naturalist Georges Léopole Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert, Baron Cuvier (1769-1832) from Greek phylon "race, stock," related to phyle "tribe, clan" (see physic). The immediate source of the English word probably is from German.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
phyla in Medicine

phylum

(fī′ləm)
n. pl. phy•la (-lə)
  1. A taxonomic category that is a primary division of a kingdom and ranks above a class in size.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
phyla in Science

phylum

[fī′ləm]
Plural phyla
  1. A group of organisms ranking above a class and below a kingdom. See Table at taxonomy.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
phyla in Culture

phylum

[(feye-luhm)]

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.)

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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.