specific epithet

American  

[spi-sif-ik ep-uh-thet] / spɪˈsɪf ɪk ˈɛp əˌθɛt /

noun

Botany, Zoology.

1. (inbinomial nomenclature ) the second part, always lowercased, of a plant or animal species’ scientific name: for example, the species Quercus alba is an oak tree, as all oaks belong to the genus Quercus , but it is the specific epithet alba that identifies the particular species, which is the white oak.

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Etymology

Origin of specific epithet

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Elsewhere, the dramatist seems to betray private suspicion of the normal woman's volitional capacity by applying to her heart and mind the specific epithet "waxen."

From Shakespeare and the Modern Stage with Other Essays by Lee, Sidney, Sir