rigidus

Rigidus is a Latin adjective meaning stiff, rigid, or hard. In classical Latin it described literal rigidity as well as figurative inflexibility. In modern scientific naming, rigidus appears as a specific epithet in the binomial names of organisms to signal a notable rigidity of a feature such as a body part or structure.

As a Latin adjective used in taxonomy, rigidus must agree in gender, number, and case with the genus name. The standard forms are rigidus (masculine), rigida (feminine), and rigidum (neuter). When Latinized as a species epithet, the word is treated as a descriptor incorporated into the full scientific name rather than as a standalone term.

The use of rigidus in species names is descriptive rather than taxonomic in itself; it conveys a characteristic observed by the describer, typically relating to a notably stiff or hardened trait. Outside taxonomy, the word appears in Latin texts to describe physical rigidity of materials or, more metaphorically, the rigidity of behavior or policy. The term has also influenced modern vocabulary, contributing to words such as rigid and rigidity in various languages.

In summary, rigidus is primarily a Latin descriptive adjective used in scientific nomenclature to denote a rigid characteristic, with gendered forms that align with the genus it accompanies. Its usage reflects a tradition in taxonomy of encoding observable traits directly into the species name.