specific name

American  

[spi-sif-ik neym] / spɪˈsɪf ɪk ˈneɪm /

noun

Zoology.

1. (inbinomial nomenclature ) the second part, always lowercased, of an animal species’ scientific name, but not applicable to plant species: for example, the species Sciurus carolinensis is a squirrel, as all squirrels belong to the genus Sciurus , but it is the specific name carolinensis that identifies the particular species, which is the eastern gray squirrel.

---

Etymology

Origin of specific name

First recorded in 1750–55

Example Sentences

“When the concentration gets very high, there is a lot more scrutiny on that specific name or sector,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025

Inspired by its resemblance to San, they chose "sanae" for the specific name as a tribute.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2025

Stone: Helene, who should they be going after, if not a specific name, a type of player?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2022

It’s the same with faces; we can be tracked as we move around a store or shopping mall, even if that tracking isn’t tied to a specific name.

From The Verge • Jan. 22, 2020

Most of the doctors at that first meeting felt they did not know enough about the illness to give it a specific name.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy