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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
differentia \dif'fer*en"ti*a\, noun; pl. {Differenti[ae]}. [L. See {Difference}.]
1. (Logic) The formal or distinguishing part of the essence of a species, by which it is distinguished from other members of its genus; the characteristic attribute of a species; specific difference; as, a proper definition must have both genus and differentia. [1913 Webster +PJC]
2. the set of characteristics distinguishing an entity from related entities. [PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
differentia
noun: distinguishing characteristics (especially in different species of a genus) [also: {differentiae} (pl)]
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |