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Glite Dictionary
genus Equus

genus Equus

8.0
A group of animals that includes horses, zebras, and donkeys
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒiːnəs ˈɛkwəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Equus
  • Scientists study the genus Equus to better understand the evolution of modern equines.

Examples

  • The genus Equus includes several species such as horses, zebras, and donkeys.

  • Farmers often raise animals from the genus Equus for work and companionship.

  • of original models of the genus Equus.

    Fiction book (1996)

Synonyms

Equus
vsgenus Equus
  • Specialized
2 9.0

A group of animals that includes horses, zebras, and donkeys

is the same concept but expressed as a formal taxonomic phrase

Surface Forms

genus Equus singular
genera Equus plural

Morphology

genus + Equus

The phrase is fully compositional: 'genus' (a biological rank) combined with the proper name 'Equus' signals the taxonomic group, so the meaning 'the genus that includes horses, zebras, and donkeys' follows directly. Latin genus names and this naming pattern are cross-linguistically common, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Genus Equus comes from Latin: genus means 'group' and Equus means 'horse'. So it literally means a 'group of horses', which is why the name is used today for the group of animals that includes horses, zebras, and donkeys.