taxon

American  

[tak-son] / ˈtæk sɒn /

noun

• taxa
  plural

1. a taxonomic category, as a species or genus.

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taxon British  

/ ˈtæksɒn /

noun

1. biology any taxonomic group or rank

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taxon Scientific  

/ tăk′sŏn′ /

• taxa
  plural

1. A taxonomic category or group, such as a phylum, order, family, genus, or species.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• taxa
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of taxon

First recorded in 1945–50; from Greek táx(is) “arranged, put in order” + -on neuter noun ending; see taxis ¹, -on ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

taxon taxa

Such discoveries are known as "lazarus taxon", a term inspired by a biblical figure who was raised from the dead.

From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026

Bisgaard taxon 45 is related to another bacterium, called Pasteurella multocida, that can cause septicemia in cattle and was linked to the death of 200,000 endangered saiga antelope in Kazakhstan in 2015.

From National Geographic ● Dec. 5, 2023

Crucially they found a potential cause - a bacterium called Bisgaard taxon 45 - in six of the animals.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2023

Further examination by veterinarians and scientists identified a septicaemic infection caused by a by a little-known bacteria provisionally named Bisgaard taxon 45, an unclassified member the of Pasteurellaceae bacterial family, in six elephants.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2023

An abbreviated synonymy, in which are listed all combinations and emendations of names and significant contributions to our knowledge of the taxon, is given for each.

From A Taxonomic Revision of the Leptodactylid Frog Genus Syrrhophus Cope by John D. Lynch

"I think our work highlights why and how biologists can bring their human biases to all aspects of biology, which should be of concern for biologists, regardless of their study taxa, moving forward."

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2025

I think our work highlights why and how biologists can bring their human biases to all aspects of biology, which should be of concern for biologists, regardless of their study taxa, moving forward.

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2025

Next, they attributed these to ancient taxa based on their size, shape, and contents.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 27, 2024

Researchers report February 29 in the journal Cell Reports that the Golgi ribbon, an organelle structure previously thought to be exclusive to vertebrates, is also present in animal taxa, including mollusks, earthworms, and sea urchins.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 29, 2024

Especially significant is the diversity of species inhabiting the present tropical environments; many of these have differentiated from related taxa to the south.

From A Distributional Study of the Amphibians of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico by William E. Duellman

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