noun
nomenclature
NOH-mun-klay-cher/ˈnəʊmənkleɪtʃər/
A system or practice of naming things in a particular field.
Scientific nomenclature gives researchers a consistent way to name species.
Etymology
The pieces express “calling names,” originally an activity performed by a namer or announcer. The meaning shifted from naming to a catalogue of names, then to the organized terminology of a subject.
In context
there is a systematic nomenclature called the international union of pure and applied science abbreviated iupac that was adopted to provide a consistent naming scheme for organic compounds
More examples
- Students learn the rules of chemical nomenclature.
- The manual explains the nomenclature used for machine parts.
- The two classification systems use different nomenclatures for these plants.
Forms
nomenclature · nomenclatures
Similar words
- terminology
- Covers a field's specialized terms, not just its naming rules.
- naming
- Describes giving names without necessarily following a specialized system.