clade

noun

ˈklād 

: a group of biological taxa (such as species) that includes all descendants of one common ancestor

Examples of clade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Until this point, the outbreak of H5N1 in dairy cows—which was declared in March 2024—was entirely caused by H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype B3.13. —Ars Technica, 11 Feb. 2025

What To Know The identification of the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b (genotype D1.1) strain in cattle occurred after state tracing and initial testing under the USDA's National Milk Testing Strategy. —Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025

If those results are negative for clade 2, the doctor can make a presumptive diagnosis of clade 1; that diagnosis will need to be officially confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to officials. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 6 Sep. 2024

So clades are typically composed of multiple species, right? —Janna Levin, Quanta Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek kládos "branch, sprig, frond," after cladogenesis — more at clado-

Note: The term was introduced by Julian huxley in "The Three Types of Evolutionary Process," Nature, vol. 180, no. 4584 (September 7, 1957), p. 455.

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for clade

• aid
• aide
• bade
• blade
• braid
• dade
• fade
• flayed
• fraid
• frayed
• gade
• glade