taxonomy

taxonomy
The systematic classification of living things or organisms. Kingdoms of living organisms are divided into groups (taxa) to show degrees of similarity or presumed evolutionary relationships, with the higher categories being larger, more inclusive, and more broadly defined, and the lower categories being more restricted, with fewer species more closely related. The divisions below kingdom are, in descending order : phylum, class, order, family, genus, species, and subspecies (variety). Infra- and supra- or sub- and super- categories can be used when needed; additional categories, such as tribe, section, level, group, etc., are also used. [G. taxis, orderly arrangement, + nomos, law]
- chemical t. an approach to the classification of organisms based on the distribution of natural products.
- numerical t. an approach to the classification of organisms that strives for objectivity, wherein characteristics of organisms are given equal weight (adansonian classification) and the relationships of the organisms are numerically determined, usually by computer.

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tax·on·o·my tak-'sän-ə-mē n, pl -mies
1) the study of the general principles of scientific classification: SYSTEMATICS
2) orderly classification of plants and animals according to their presumed natural relationships

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tax·on·o·my (tak-sonґə-me) [L. taxinomia; taxis + Gr. nomos law] the orderly classification of organisms into appropriate categories (taxa) on the basis of relationships among them, with the application of suitable and correct names. taxonomic adj

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Taxonomy — is the practice and science of classification. The word comes from the Greek Polytonic|τάξις , taxis (meaning order , arrangement ) and Polytonic|νόμος , nomos ( law or science ). Taxonomies, or taxonomic schemes, are composed of taxonomic units… …   Wikipedia

  • Taxonomy — Tax*on o*my (t[a^]ks*[o^]n [ o]*m[y^]), n. [Gr. ta xis an arrangement, order + no mos a law.] 1. That division of the natural sciences which treats of the classification of animals and plants, primarily by consideration of their natural… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Taxonomy — Таксономия в лингвистике метод исследования языка, основанный на систематизации языковых факторов путем вычисления в тексте лингвистических единиц и изучении их свойств в зависимости от их порядка и распределения. См. также: Классификация… …   Финансовый словарь

  • taxonomy — taxonomy. См. таксономия. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • taxonomy — 1828, from Fr. taxonomie (1813), introduced by Linnæus and coined irregularly from Gk. taxis arrangement (see TAXIDERMY (Cf. taxidermy)) + nomia method, from nomos managing, from nemein manage (see NUMISMATICS (Cf. numismatics)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • taxonomy — ► NOUN chiefly Biology 1) the branch of science concerned with classification. 2) a scheme of classification. DERIVATIVES taxonomic adjective taxonomical adjective taxonomist noun. ORIGIN from Greek taxis arrangement + nomia distribution …   English terms dictionary

  • taxonomy — [tak sän′ə mē] n. pl. taxonomies [Fr taxonomie < Gr taxis (see TAXIS) + nomos, law (see NOMY)] 1. the science of classification; laws and principles covering the classifying of objects 2. Biol. a system of arranging animals and plants into… …   English World dictionary

  • taxonomy — taxonomic /tak seuh nom ik/, taxonomical, adj. taxonomically, adv. taxonomist, taxonomer, n. /tak son euh mee/, n. 1. the science or technique of classification. 2. Biol. the science dealing with the description, identification, naming, and… …   Universalium

  • taxonomy — n. [Gr. taxis, arrangement; nomos, law] The study of the theory, procedure, and rules of classification of organisms, based on similarities and differences; see classical taxonomy, cytotaxonomy, numerical taxonomy, experimental taxonomy,… …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • taxonomy — A taxonomy (or typology) is a classification. To classify social phenomena is not to explain them. For example, sociologists of religion commonly use a taxonomy of religious organizations which embraces the categories of church, denomination,… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • taxonomy —    Most political analysis begins with a taxonomy, a set of categories that classifies phenomena or data (for example, the different varieties of pressure groups) into different types. Categories should ideally be exhaustive, mutually exclusive… …   Glossary of UK Government and Politics

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