alpha taxonomy

See also: alpha-taxonomy

English

Alternative forms

• alpha-taxonomy

Noun

alpha taxonomy (uncountable)

1. The science of finding, describing, classifying and naming living things.

   Coordinate terms: beta taxonomy, gamma taxonomy

Usage notes

• A retronym, this is used in those cases where the word taxonomy may be ambiguous, as follows:
  • where the word taxonomy is (also) used in the (broader) sense of a classification in a hierarchical system; the synonym biotaxonomy is also occasionally used, for the same reason.
  • where the word systematics is used in the sense of cladistically evaluating DNA data only.