specific name

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

noun Zoology.

(in binomial 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.

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anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
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Also called specific epithet.

Origin of specific name

First recorded in 1750–55

Words nearby specific name

specific heat capacity, specific humidity, specific immune globulin, specific immunity, specific impulse, specific name, specific opsonin, specific parasite, specific performance, specific reaction, specific resistance
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020