quasispecies

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noun

A group of organisms once (but no longer) thought to be a separate species (and sometimes given such a name)

OriginEnglish species ← Latin quasī̆ ← Proto-Italic *sei →
RareScrabble 25
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Meanings

nounquasispecies (plural quasispecies)
  1. biologyA group of organisms once (but no longer) thought to be a separate species (and sometimes given such a name)
  2. biologyA group of similar nucleic acid molecules; a group of organisms (especially viruses) having such similar genomes.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kʷ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*kʷís
  3. Proto-Italic*kʷis
  4. Proto-Indo-European*kʷ-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*kʷos
  6. Proto-Italic*kʷoi
  7. Latinquam
  8. Proto-Indo-European*só
  9. Proto-Italic*sei
  10. Latinsī
  11. Latinquasī̆
  12. Englishquasi-
  13. Englishspecies
  14. Englishquasispecies

From quasi- + species.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

quasispecies. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quasispecies

MLA

“quasispecies.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quasispecies. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quasispecies,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quasispecies.

Source: quasispecies on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.