tautonym

American

[taw-tuh-nim] / ˈtɔ tə nɪm /

noun

Biology.

a scientific name in which the generic and the specific names are the same, as Chloris chloris (the greenfinch).

tautonym British

/ tɔːˈtɒnɪməs, ˈtɔːtənɪm /

noun

biology a taxonomic name in which the generic and specific components are the same, as in Rattus rattus (black rat)

"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

Other Word Forms

tautonymic adjective
tautonymous adjective
tautonymy noun

Etymology

Origin of tautonym

First recorded in 1895–1900; taut(o)- + -onym

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Others have what's called a tautonym, a name in which the same word is used for both species and genus.

From National Geographic

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023