binomial nomenclature

American  

noun

Zoology, Botany.

1. a system of nomenclature in which each species is given a unique name that consists of a generic and a specific term.

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binomial nomenclature British  

noun

1. a system for naming plants and animals by means of two Latin names: the first indicating the genus and the second the species to which the organism belongs, as in Panthera leo (the lion)

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binomial nomenclature Scientific  

1. The scientific system of naming an organism using two terms, the first being the genus and the second the species. The terms are usually Greek or Latin. For example, the scientific name of the narrow-leaf firethorn is Pyracantha angustifolia, where the genus is Greek for “fire thorn” and the species is Latin for “having narrow leaves.”

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Etymology

Origin of binomial nomenclature

First recorded in 1875–80