species

US /ˈspiːʃiːz/ See IPA manual

Freq #2771

Meanings

1

noun
A group of living things that are similar and can breed with one another.

The panda is an endangered species.
2

noun
A particular kind or type of something.

Scientists discovered a new species of insect in the rainforest.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms allospeciesbiospecieschronospeciescoenospeciescospeciescounterspeciescryptospeciescytospeciesecospeciesethnospeciesethospeciesgenomospecies

Related forms racespeciatespeciationspecie specificspeciosespecious spectacle spectacular speculate speculation speculative

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

Proverbs (1)

See all

The female of the species is deadlier than the male

Simplified etymology

Species is based on Latin specere, “to look.” Early senses included the outward appearance of something and an image or reflection; the idea of visible form later developed into the more general meaning “type” or “kind.”

Etymology

From Latin speciēs (“appearance; quality”), from speciō (“see”) + -iēs suffix signifying abstract noun. Doublet of spice.

*speḱ- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Biology & Genetics Animals

External links

# species

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈspiːʃiːz/
**Frequency rank:** 2771

## Meanings
1. A group of living things that are similar and can breed with one another.
2. A particular kind or type of something.

## Examples
- The panda is an endangered species.
- Scientists discovered a new species of insect in the rainforest.

## Derived Forms
- allospecies
- biospecies
- chronospecies
- coenospecies
- cospecies
- counterspecies
- cryptospecies
- cytospecies
- ecospecies
- ethnospecies
- ethospecies
- genomospecies

## Related Forms
- race
- speciate
- speciation
- specie
- specific
- speciose
- specious
- spectacle
- spectacular
- speculate
- speculation
- speculative

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *speḱ-

## Etymology
From Latin speciēs (“appearance; quality”), from speciō (“see”) + -iēs suffix signifying abstract noun. Doublet of spice.

## AI Etymology
Species is from Latin speciēs (“appearance; quality”), from speciō (“see”) + -iēs suffix signifying abstract noun. Doublet of spice. Important forms in the word's history include Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-. In current use it includes senses such as A group of living things that are similar and can breed with one another and A particular kind or type of something.

## Topics
- Biology & Genetics
- Animals

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