noun
(biology) genus from which the name of a family or subfamily is formed; it is not necessarily the most representative genus but often the largest or best known or earliest described
• Topics: ↑biology, ↑biological science
• Hypernyms: ↑genus
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noun : the genus of a taxonomic family or subfamily from which the name of the family or subfamily is formed and which in practice is more often selected because it is the largest, best-known, or earliest-described genus or the one first used as the basis of a family or subfamily name than because its structure is most representative of the larger group as a whole
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Biol.
the genus that is formally held to be typical of the family or other higher group to which it belongs.
[1830-40]
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type genus noun
The genus that gives its name to its family
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Main Entry: ↑type
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type genus,
Biology. the genus from which the name of the family or subfamily is taken, theoretically, the genus most perfectly exhibiting the family characteristics.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.