Phrase guide

ring species

noun · 1 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A biological species consisting of overlapping subgroups, each of which can interbreed with the next, but which cannot freely interbreed when taken as a whole

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Ring species demonstrate that "can interbreed with" is not transitive.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: rengaslaji — biological species
  • German: Artenkreis — biological species
  • German: Rassenkreis — biological species
  • German: Ringspezies — biological species