Meaning of trivial name | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A commonly used, non-systematic name of a chemical compound. Trivial names for many compounds have been in use since long before their exact chemical structures were determined.
2. A non-systematic name for a chemical element (see systematic element name).
3. A commonly used, non-systematic name for an organism.
4. A specific epithet.

Equivalents

Examples

“"Carbolic acid", "isopropyl alcohol", and "nitroglycerine" are trivial names for specific organic compounds that have⟳ formal systematic names defined by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. "Saltpetre" and "nitre" are trivial names for the inorganic compounds: sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate. In informal contexts, systematic names sometimes appear⟳ as trivial names; eg "alcohol", which is the correct⟳ generic term for any organic chemical compound in which a hydroxyl functional group is bound to a saturated carbon atom, is a common trivial name⟳ for "ethanol".”

“Trivial names for types of elements, such as "heavy metals", "noble metals", and "rare-earth elements" are terms of convenience, and either do not occur⟳ as such in the periodic table or do not form⟳ strict, coherent groups in the table. Element 137 (systematic name⟳: untriseptium) is called by the unofficial trivial name⟳ "feynmanium", though it will not have⟳ an official trivial name⟳ until it is discovered.”

“Trivial names such as "worm", "shrimp", "fish⟳", "toad", "cobra", "vulture", and "mahogany", though convenient and popular, do not refer⟳ to any systematically-defined biological groupings of organisms.”

CEFR level