species
SPEE-sheez
/ˈspiː.ʃiːz/
A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
Note that 'species' is both singular and plural in modern English; 'specie' refers to metallic coin currency, not a single organism.
The story behind the word. In ancient Latin, species meant an appearance, visual image, or specific look. Medieval scholars used it to classify physical objects by their outward form. Early natural scientists eventually refined it to define distinct kinds of plants and animals that shared identical traits and bred true.
Word relationships
- organism group: A generic descriptive phrase lacking the formal biological criteria of interbreeding capability.
- genus: A broader taxonomic level comprising multiple closely related species.
Commonly confused with
- specie: Specie refers strictly to hard currency or physical coin, whereas species refers to biological classification.
Word family
- speciation (noun): The evolutionary process by which new species evolve.
Collocations
- endangered species
- native species
- invasive species
- keystone species
Example sentences
- "The origin of a new species occurs when populations become reproductively isolated over long time periods." Evolutionary biology lecture
- "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection transformed our understanding of biological life." Landmark scientific literature
Memory hook
SPECIES are SPECific kinds of organisms you can SPECify. A specific kind of biological organism.
When not to use
Never use 'specie' as the singular form when talking about an individual animal or plant.
Fun facts
- The word species is spelled identical in both singular and plural form.
Related words
Also appears in
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