phylum
phylum definition
phy·lum (fī′ləm)
noun pl. phyla -·la (-lə)
- 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)
- a language stock
- loosely a language family
Etymology: ModL, coined by Baron Georges (Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert) Cuvier < Gr phylon, tribe: see phylo-
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