albus

Albus is a Latin adjective meaning white. The masculine form is albus, the feminine alba, and the neuter album. In classical and scientific Latin, these forms appear in descriptions of color and in the naming of species.

In taxonomy and biology, albus and its gendered variants are used descriptively in species names to indicate whiteness or pale coloration. The epithet often appears in Latinized plant, animal, and fungal names. A well-known botanical example is Quercus alba, the white oak, where alba denotes whiteness in agreement with the genus name. The forms albus, alba, and album appear across scientific nomenclature to describe color attributes rather than to imply a taxonomic relationship.

Beyond taxonomy, Albus as a given name is encountered in historical and literary contexts. It is most prominently associated with the fictional character Albus Dumbledore, a central figure in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. The name evokes Latin linguistic roots and classical naming conventions and is rarely used as a contemporary given name outside literary or ceremonial contexts.

Related terms derived from the same root appear in English to describe whiteness. For example, albinism and the adjective albino derive from Latin albinus, itself connected to albus. The root also appears in numerous scientific and descriptive terms that denote pale coloration in organisms or materials.