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Glite Dictionary
genus Phoca

genus Phoca

9.9
A group of seals without visible ears that live in the Northern Hemisphere
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛnəs ˈfoʊkə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Phoca
  • The harbor seal is a member of the genus Phoca, which includes several northern hemisphere species.

Examples

  • Species in the genus Phoca are commonly known as true seals or earless seals.

  • Marine biologists study various animals within the genus Phoca to understand seal evolution.

  • The genus Phoca includes several species of seals.

  • Did you know that genus Phoca is known for earless seals?

  • Marine biologists study various animals within the genus Phoca to understand seal evolution.

  • Species in the genus Phoca are commonly known as true seals or earless seals.

  • The harbor seal is a member of the genus Phoca, which includes several northern hemisphere species.

Synonyms

Phoca
vsgenus Phoca
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of earless seals in the seal family, like the harbor seal

is the same concept used as the formal taxonomic name for the family

Surface Forms

genus Phoca singular
genera Phoca plural

Morphology

genus + Phoca

This phrase is compositionally transparent: it combines the taxonomic noun 'genus' with the proper name 'Phoca', so a learner who knows both words can infer it means the genus called Phoca (a group of seals). The construction is a regular noun+name labeling pattern found in scientific naming and cross-linguistically, making the meaning predictable to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Genus Phoca comes from old Latin and Greek words that scientists used to name animals. genus means 'group' and Phoca comes from a Greek word for 'seal', so the name actually means a 'group of seals' and is used for the true earless seals.