1. : something (such as an important idea or subject) that is repeated throughout a book, story, etc. 2. : a single or repeated design or pattern. The wallpaper has a flower motif. [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples.
The first part of a binomial is the generic name, the genus to which the species belongs. The second part is either called the specific name (a term used only in zoology) or the specific epithet (the term used in botany, which can also be used in zoology). usable definition of the word species and reliable methods of identifying particular species are essential for stating and testing biological theories and for measuring biodiversity, though other taxonomic levels such as families may be considered in broad-scale studies.
It can also be a descriptive title: for example, Alfred the Great, Suleiman the Magnificent or WÅadysÅaw I the Elbow-high. In contemporary use, epithet often refers to an abusive, defamatory, or derogatory phrase, such as a racial or animal epithet. This use as a euphemism is criticized by Martin Manser and other prescriptive linguists.