taxonomy
/takˈsɒnəmi
/noun [mass noun] chiefly Biology
1The branch of science concerned with classification, especially of organisms; systematics.The question remains, however, whether expertise in taxonomy and biological systematics will be available for the long term....
- The success of flow cytometry and its ever-increasing use in plant taxonomy, systematics and ecology may pose unexpected problems.
- Chromosomes are often useful in systematics and taxonomy, but are of restricted taxonomic value in Periplocoideae.
1.1The classification of something, especially organisms: the taxonomy of these fossils...
- The group that has been most commonly analysed morphometrically is the planktonic foraminifers, largely because of their well-established taxonomy and their optimal fossil record.
- In the wonderment of this taxonomy, the thing that is demonstrated in the exotic charm of another system of thought is the limitation of our own.
- The three-month training began with the work on coral taxonomy in Townsville, in northwest Australia.
1.2 [count noun] A scheme of classification: a taxonomy of smells...
- Smith's imagination was not limited to studying the extant taxonomy of market institutions.
- So whatever the debatable points of his taxonomy (and this being analytic philosophy, there are plenty of taxonomic points to debate), I think Strawson is on to something.
- Virginia's book was liberating for me, because its alternate taxonomy helped me avoid unwittingly imposing artificial political identities on my own thinking.
Derivatives
taxonomically
- To call the actually existing order liberal - or ‘neo-liberal’ - is as taxonomically accurate as calling the old Soviet Communist Party syndicalist.
- A subspecies is a geographic race that is sufficiently different taxonomically to be worthy of a separate name.
- Though they are minor elements of most Cambrian benthic assemblages, rhynchonelliform brachiopods taxonomically and numerically dominate most post-Ordovician Paleozoic benthic assemblages.
taxonomist
/ noun ...- Accordingly, it was this assertion of progress - the domestication of fire - that, in part, allowed taxonomists to distinguish between animal and human.
- Later taxonomists proved less welcoming, however, and the chimp was reclassified in 1816 into its own genus, Pan, where it has remained until this day.
- It is true that most taxonomists and conservationists work on shoestring budgets.
Origin
Early 19th century: coined in French from Greek taxis 'arrangement' + -nomia 'distribution'.