species

species — noun

1. A group of living organisms that share common physical features and are able to

1.nounA2
Definition

A group of living organisms that share common physical features and are able to produce young together that can themselves produce more young.

Example

The giant panda is an endangered species found in the mountain forests of central China.

endangered species — common collocation for at-risk organisms

Indra's research team discovered a new species of deep-sea fish near the coast of Japan.

Common collocations
  • endangered species
  • species of [bird / fish / plant]
  • native species
  • invasive species
  • species goes extinct
  • discover a new species
  • species diversity
Synonyms
  • breed

    refers to a smaller group within a species, especially among domesticated animals

  • variety

    a subtype within a species, often used in botany and horticulture

  • genus

    a broader classification level above species in the biological hierarchy

Grammar Patterns

species + of + [type of organism]

species + verb (singular or plural depending on context)

Usage Note

Species has the same written form in both singular and plural (one species, two species). Do not write 'specie' as a singular form — specie is a separate word meaning money in coin form. In scientific writing, a binomial Latin name (e.g. Homo sapiens) is used to identify each species precisely.

Common Mistakes

That specie of bird has disappeared.
That species of bird has disappeared.
Species is both singular and plural; 'specie' refers only to metal coins.
There are many species of butterflys in this forest.
There are many species of butterflies in this forest.
Species remains unchanged; the noun that follows it does take a regular plural.

2. A particular class of things that share a set of recognisable qualities, making

2.nounB1
Definition

A particular class of things that share a set of recognisable qualities, making them different from other items within a larger group.

Example

Chidi faced a rare species of problem that the team had never seen before.

a rare species of [abstract noun] — figurative use for types of things

The museum held a strange species of performance art that mixed dance with storytelling.

Common collocations
  • a species of [abstract noun]
  • a particular species of
  • a rare species of
  • a strange species of
Synonyms
  • kind

    more everyday and less formal; used in both concrete and abstract contexts

  • sort

    similar to 'kind' but slightly more informal; common in spoken English

  • type

    the most neutral and general alternative; fits most contexts

  • variety

    suggests a range of similar but distinguishable items within a category

Grammar Patterns

a species of + [abstract noun or thing]

species — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In biological classification, species is the fundamental unit — a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. A breed is a much smaller subdivision within a domestic species, created by selective breeding for specific traits (like Labrador vs. Golden Retriever, both breeds of the same species). A genus (plural: genera) sits above a species in the taxonomic hierarchy: one genus can contain many related species (e.g. Canis includes wolves, coyotes, and domestic dogs as separate species). A variety is a rank below species used mostly in botany, referring to naturally occurring subgroups that differ slightly from the main species. To illustrate: the species Canis lupus (grey wolf) includes several varieties across different regions, while a 'timber wolf' is a common name for one variety, but all are the same species.

species ↗breed ↗genus ↗variety ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a species of
  • species by species
  • member of a species

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Species entered English in the late 1300s from Old French 'especie', which came from Latin 'species' meaning 'a sight, appearance, shape, or kind'. The Latin root 'specere' means 'to look at or behold' — so a species was originally 'the look of something' that allowed people to recognise it as a particular kind. The modern biological meaning, referring to a group of organisms that can interbreed, was first recorded in the mid-1500s and became central to natural science after Linnaeus's classification system in the 1700s.