trivial name
noun
the common name used in everyday language to refer to an organism or to a chemical element or compound, such as dog for Canis familiaris or vinegar for acetic acid.
trivial names
-
pluralof trivial name.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Linnaeus himself made several unsatisfactory attempts before he finally hit upon his system of "trivial names," which was developed in his Species plantarum, and which, with some, minor alterations, remains in use to this day.
From A History of Science — Volume 2 by Henry Smith Williams
The flora on the links and hills around was very beautiful, and I soon learnt the trivial names of all the plants.
From Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age, of Mary Somerville by Mary Somerville
When the fibres are naturally interwoven, so as to form a felted mass, the mineral passes under such trivial names as mountain leather, mountain cork, mountain paper, &c.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 7 "Arundel, Thomas" to "Athens" by Various
From this they derive one of their trivial names of Ai, or Ay-ay.
From Quadrupeds, What They Are and Where Found A Book of Zoology for Boys by William Harvey
Hence their trivial names of “blauw” wildebeest and “brindled” gnoo.
From The Young Yagers A Narrative of Hunting Adventures in Southern Africa by Mayne Reid
