Adjacent Words

trivial name definitions

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Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1759 1. specific epithet 2. a common or vernacular name of an organism or chemical

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Specific Spe*cif"ic, a. [F. sp['e]cifique, or NL. cpesificus; L. species a particular sort or kind + facere to make. Cf. Specify.] 1. Of or pertaining to a species; characterizing or constituting a species; possessing the peculiar property or properties of a thing which constitute its species, and distinguish it from other things; as, the specific form of an animal or a plant; the specific qualities of a drug; the specific distinction between virtue and vice. Specific difference is that primary attribute which distinguishes each species from one another. --I. Watts. 2. Specifying; definite, or making definite; limited; precise; discriminating; as, a specific statement. 3. (Med.) Exerting a peculiar influence over any part of the body; preventing or curing disease by a peculiar adaption, and not on general principles; as, quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria. In fact, all medicines will be found specific in the perfection of the science. --Coleridge. Specific character (Nat. Hist.), a characteristic or characteristics distinguishing one species from every other species of the same genus. Specific disease (Med.) (a) A disease which produces a determinate definite effect upon the blood and tissues or upon some special tissue. (b) A disease which is itself uniformly produced by a definite and peculiar poison or organism. Specific duty. (Com.) See under Duty. Specific gravity. (Physics) See under Gravity. Specific heat (Physics), the quantity of heat required to raise temperature of a body one degree, taking as the unit of measure the quantity required to raise the same weight of water from zero to one degree; thus, the specific heat of mercury is 0.033, that of water being 1.000. Specific inductive capacity (Physics), the effect of a dielectric body in producing static electric induction as compared with that of some other body or bodies referred to as a standard. Specific legacy (Law), a bequest of a particular thing, as of a particular animal or piece of furniture, specified and distinguished from all others. --Wharton. --Burrill. Specific name (Nat., Hist.), the name which, appended to the name of the genus, constitutes the distinctive name of the species; -- originally applied by Linn[ae]us to the essential character of the species, or the essential difference. The present specific name he at first called the trivial name. Specific performance (Law), the peformance of a contract or agreement as decreed by a court of equity.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Trivial Triv"i*al, a. [L. trivialis, properly, that is in, or belongs to, the crossroads or public streets; hence, that may be found everywhere, common, fr. trivium a place where three roads meet, a crossroad, the public street; tri- (see Tri-) + via a way: cf. F. trivial. See Voyage.] 1. Found anywhere; common. [Obs.] 2. Ordinary; commonplace; trifling; vulgar. As a scholar, meantime, he was trivial, and incapable of labor. --De Quincey. 3. Of little worth or importance; inconsiderable; trifling; petty; paltry; as, a trivial subject or affair. The trivial round, the common task. --Keble. 4. Of or pertaining to the trivium. Trivial name (Nat. Hist.), the specific name.