polytypic

[ pol-ee-tip-ik ]

adjective
  1. having or involving many or several types.

Origin of polytypic

1
First recorded in 1885–90; poly- + type + -ic
  • Often pol·y·typ·i·cal .

Words Nearby polytypic

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How to use polytypic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for polytypic

polytypic

polytypical

/ (ˌpɒlɪˈtɪpɪk) /


adjective
  1. existing in, consisting of, or incorporating several different types or forms

  2. biology (of a taxonomic group) having many subdivisions, esp (of a species) having many subspecies and geographical races

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for polytypic

polytypic

[ pŏl′ē-tĭpĭk ]


  1. Having several variant forms, especially containing more than one taxonomic category of the next lower rank. A polytypic genus contains two or more different species, while a polytypic species consists of two or more subspecies. Compare monotypic.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.