Standard Lemma guide

holotype

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used to formally describe the species (or lower-order taxon), subsequently to be kept as a reference.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, taxonomy

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the original specimen from which the description of a new species is made

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: type specimen

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: model, example

History

Etymology

From holo- + -type.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: holotip — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • Esperanto: holotipo — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • Finnish: holotyyppi — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • French: holotype — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • Galician: holotipo — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • German: Holotypus — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • Italian: olotipo — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • Japanese: 正基準標本 (seikijunhyōhon) — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • Japanese: ホロタイプ (horotaipu) — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • Latin: holotypus — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • Portuguese: holótipo — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
  • Spanish: holotipo — single physical example or illustration of an organism used to describe the taxon
Real reading context

holotype in complete knowledge articles