species
/ˈspiː.ʃiːz/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A species is a group of living things that are similar and can usually breed with each other. It is a basic category used in biology.
- The tiger is a species of big cat.
- Scientists discovered a new species in the forest.
- Human beings belong to the same species.
Adinary Nuance
Species is a scientific word, so it is more exact than words like type or kind. Use type for everyday categories, but use species when talking about living things in biology. It is also different from breed, which usually means a subgroup within one animal species.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- loài
- Spanish
- especie
- Chinese
- 物种
- Japanese
- 種
- Korean
- 종
Etymology
Species comes from Latin species, meaning 'appearance' or 'kind'. English has used it in science since the 1400s, and biology later gave it a stricter meaning.
Common phrases
endangered speciesspecies namespecies of birdnew species
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is species singular or plural?
- Species is usually the same in singular and plural. We say one species and many species.
- Is species a formal word?
- Yes. It is common in science, school writing, and formal talks about nature.
- What is the difference between species and breed?
- Species is the larger scientific group. Breed is a smaller group inside one animal species.