subgenus

noun

sub·​ge·​nus ˈsəb-ˌjē-nəs How to pronounce subgenus (audio)
: a category in biological classification ranking below a genus and above a species

Examples of subgenus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But then there is the very specific subgenus of heartbreak that is untethered to a particular historical moment and has probably existed since the Neanderthals: the sheer, abject misery of being rejected by someone to whom you are still deeply attached. Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2022 SARS-CoV-2 is a member of a subgenus of the betacoronaviruses called the sarbecoviruses, named after their prototype member, SARS-CoV-1, which caused the SARS epidemic in 2002 and 2003. Stephan Lewandowsky, Scientific American, 16 Feb. 2022 These are a subgenus of betacoronaviruses, to which the SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV species of virus belong. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2021 The subgenus first emerged more than a hundred million years ago and lived until at least 93 million years ago; scientists can even use the presence of its fossils to help estimate the age of marine sediments. Michael Greshko, National Geographic, 13 May 2019 For this drug research, the scientists are homing in on the subgenus Conus asprella, which includes six different species. Elaina Zachos, National Geographic, 5 Dec. 2017 Fossils belonging to another subgenus of Metrosideros, also discovered in Tasmania, were shown to be about 35 million years old. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 23 June 2017 No doubt other new genera will be carved out from Sedum, and quite likely one of these will be the Mexican subgenus Pachysedum. Brian Kemble, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2017 Fossils belonging to another subgenus of Metrosideros, also discovered in Tasmania, were shown to be about 35 million years old. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 24 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subgenus was in 1699

Dictionary Entries Near subgenus

Cite this Entry

“Subgenus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subgenus. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

subgenus

noun
sub·​ge·​nus ˈsəb-ˌjē-nəs How to pronounce subgenus (audio)
plural subgenera -ˌjen-ər-ə How to pronounce subgenus (audio)
: a category in biological classification ranking below a genus and above a species
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