speciesnoun [ C ]
uk/ˈspiː.ʃiːz/us/ˈspiː.ʃiːz/plural speciesB2 a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other:
Mountain gorillas are an endangered species.
Over a hundred species of insect are found in this area.
figurative humorous Women film directors in Hollywood are a rare species.
See also
subspecies
More examples
- Scientists think it unlikely that any species will actually become extinct as a consequence of the oil spill.
- Depredation of the environment is destroying hundreds of species each year.
- For homework I want you to write an essay on endangered species.
- Some species exist in this small area of forest and nowhere else on earth.
- Many plant and animal species are found only in the rainforests.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Species & genders
- breed
- class
- female
- genera
- genus
- he
- m
- male
- order
- paramecium
- phylum
- related
- same-gender
- she
- strain
- subspecies