DictionaryAI

genus

noun
SayJEE-nuhs/ˈd͡ʒiːnəs/UK/ˈdʒiːnəs/

Pluralgenera, genusses, genii

5 meanings of genus

Practice

  1. 1
    rank (biology)nouncountable
    In biology, a group of closely related kinds of living things. Its name is the first word of a scientific name.

    Dogs and wolves belong to the same genus.

    Scientists named a new genus of dinosaur after the town where it was found.

    Note
  2. 2
    nouncountable
    A group of things that are alike in some ways.
    Recollection is one of a whole genus of effects which are more or less peculiar to the phenomena that we naturally call "mental."
    1945, Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy

    Similarclass, category, kind, type

    Note
  3. 3
    mathnoun
    A whole number used in math to measure how complex a surface or network is.

    A doughnut shape has a genus of one because it has one hole.

    The math club spent an hour working out the genus of a pretzel shape.

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    logicnouncountable
    In a definition, the bigger group that the thing being defined belongs to.

    In the definition “a puppy is a young dog,” the genus is dog.

    Our teacher told us to start each definition with the genus.

    Note
  2. 5
    noun
    A way of tuning the four-note groups used in the music of ancient Greece.

Practice

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Origin

From Latin genus, meaning "birth" or "kind".

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts