phylum Hear it!

phylum definition

phy·lum (fī′ləm)

noun pl. phyla -·la (-lə)

  1. a major category in the classification of living organisms, esp. animals, ranking above a class and below a kingdom: it can include one class or many similar classes: the Latinized phylum names are capitalized but not italicized (Ex.: Arthropoda, arthropods)
    1. a language stock
    2. loosely a language family

Etymology: ModL, coined by Baron Georges (Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert) Cuvier < Gr phylon, tribe: see phylo-

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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