binomial nomenclature
Noun
Meaning
binomial nomenclature (uncountable)
(taxonomy) The scientific system of naming each species of organism with a Latinized name in two parts; the first is the genus, and is written with an initial capital letter; the second is some specific epithet that distinguishes the species within the genus. By convention, the whole name is typeset in italics. The genus part is often abbreviated to its initial letter e.g. H. sapiens for Homo sapiens
Related terms
Examples
Although the general principles underlying binomial nomenclature are common to these two codes, there are some differences, both in the terminology they use and in their precise rules.
Invocation Frederic Leighton (1830–1896) In the earliest period, the binomial nomenclature of praenomen and nomen that developed throughout Italy was shared by both men and women.
In 1768, Samuel Gottlieb Gmelin (1744–1774) published the Historia Fucorum, the first work dedicated to marine algae and the first book on marine biology to use the then new binomial nomenclature of Linnaeus.
His refinement of taxonomy culminated in the development of the binomial nomenclature which is in use by contemporary ichthyologists.
Originally Roman women shared the binomial nomenclature of men; but over time the praenomen became less useful as a distinguishing element, and women's praenomina were gradually discarded, or replaced by informal names.
Relationship to classification and taxonomy Nomenclature (including binomial nomenclature) is not the same as classification, although the two are related.