GENUS

genus (jee-n<<schwa>>s orjen-<<schwa>>s). A general class comprising several species or

divisions. • In legal usage, the terms genus and (sometimes) species invoke the taxonomic

classification of life forms in biological science. For example, patent law is a species within the

genus of intellectual property; burglary is a species within the genus of crime. In the law of sales,

genus referred to fungibles, while species referred to specific, individual items. Cf. SPECIES(2). [Blacks Law 8^th]