genus

genus — noun

1. In biology, a level of scientific classification that groups together species sh

1.名詞B2
釋義

In biology, a level of scientific classification that groups together species sharing very similar features. A genus sits above the level of species and below the level of family.

例句

The genus Rosa includes hundreds of species of rose found across the Northern Hemisphere.

genus + of + plural noun naming a group

Biologists classified the newly discovered orchid into a genus first described in the 1830s.

passive: classified into a genus

同義詞
  • group

    broader and less precise; used in everyday language

  • class

    a general category in any classification system

  • category

    a more general term for any division of things

反義詞
  • species

    the specific level below genus; a genus contains one or more species

文法句型

genus + of + plural noun phrase

用法筆記

In formal biological taxonomy, genus names are capitalised and italicised (e.g., Homo sapiens). The irregular plural is genera, not 'genuses'.

常見錯誤

❌The lion belongs to the genus Panthera leo.
✅The lion belongs to the species Panthera leo, within the genus Panthera.
💡Genus is the broader category that contains multiple species; never use genus to refer to a single species.
❌There are many genuses of beetles.
✅There are many genera of beetles.
💡The plural of genus is genera (Latin origin), not genuses.

2. A broad category or class of things that share a common quality or feature, espe

2.名詞C1
釋義

A broad category or class of things that share a common quality or feature, especially in literature, art, or philosophy.

例句

This new style of music belongs to a different genus from the classical tradition.

genus + of + abstract noun (formal)

The two novels, though different in style, belong to the same genus of political fiction.

同義詞
  • type

    everyday word for a category; far more common than genus

  • kind

    informal, used in everyday speech for any grouping

  • class

    a group sharing similar qualities, used across formal and informal contexts

  • category

    a neutral term for any division in a classification

文法句型

genus + of + noun

用法筆記

This sense is formal and appears mainly in academic or literary discussion. In everyday English, type, kind, or category are far more common and sound more natural.

常見錯誤

❌I like this genus of music.
✅I like this type of music.
💡In ordinary conversation, type or kind is more natural than genus.