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Glite Dictionary
genus Meleagris

genus Meleagris

8.7
A group of birds that includes wild and domestic turkeys
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛnəs ˈmɛlɪɡrɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Meleagris
  • The genus Meleagris includes both wild and domestic turkeys.

Examples

  • The genus Meleagris contains both the wild turkey and its domesticated descendants.

  • The most well-known member of the genus Meleagris is the North American turkey.

  • Scientists are studying the evolutionary history of the genus Meleagris to learn more about bird domestication.

  • Did you know that the genus Meleagris has two species?

  • The genus Meleagris includes both the wild turkey and the domestic turkey, highlighting their shared ancestry.

  • In biology class, we learned that the genus Meleagris consists of birds commonly known as turkeys.

  • Farmers often raise birds from the genus Meleagris for their meat during holiday seasons.

Synonyms

Meleagris
vsgenus Meleagris
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of birds that includes wild and farmed turkeys

is the simpler description naming the same genus without the family label

Surface Forms

genus Meleagris singular
genera Meleagris plural

Morphology

genus + Meleagris

This is a fully compositional taxonomic phrase: 'genus' (a biological rank grouping related species) combined with the proper name 'Meleagris' denotes the genus called Meleagris, i.e. the group of birds including turkeys. The construction follows standard scientific naming patterns found across languages, so a learner who knows both constituents can derive the meaning.

Etymology

Genus Meleagris comes from how scientists name and group animals: genus means a named 'group' and Meleagris is the name used for the 'turkey'. So genus Meleagris simply means the 'group' of turkeys, both wild and domestic.