moribunda

Moribunda is the feminine form of the Latin adjective moribundus, meaning dying or near death. In scientific naming, moribunda is commonly encountered as a specific epithet in the binomial nomenclature of living organisms. It is not a genus or a taxon by itself; rather, it appears alongside a genus name to form a species name. The epithet is chosen by the taxonomist who describes the species and may reflect a perceived characteristic of the organism, the circumstances of its discovery, or a symbolic reference. Because epithet choice is not standardized, moribunda can be found across different plant and animal groups without implying a single shared trait.

Etymology-wise, moribunda derives from mori, the Latin verb “to die,” combined with a suffix used to form descriptive adjectives. The form moribunda specifically agrees with feminine-noun genus names in Latin grammar, while other gender forms such as moribundus (masculine) and moribundum (neuter) exist to match different genera.

In medical and historical contexts, the English term moribund describes a patient who is near death. Moribunda, when encountered in Latin phrases or historical texts, would refer to a feminine subject in those Latin constructions, though in modern English usage the term is rarely applied outside Latin or scholarly contexts.

See also: Moribund.