transgressus

Transgressus is a Latin term meaning having crossed or having gone beyond. It derives from the verb transgredior, which means to go over or across a boundary, and the form transgressus is the perfect passive participle used in Latin to describe something that has already crossed a line or limit.

In modern scientific usage, transgressus most often appears as a specific epithet in zoological and botanical names. When used in this way, it is Latinized and must agree in gender with the genus name (for example transgressus in masculine, transgressa in feminine, transgressum in neuter). The exact sense conveyed by the epithet is determined by the author and can reflect a perceived crossing of lines, patterns, or features, or may serve as a descriptive label without a fixed universal meaning across taxa.

Outside of taxonomy, transgressus occurs as a participial form in Latin literature and may appear in historical or scholarly contexts as part of phrases describing something that has crossed a boundary or limit. It is not a standalone taxon or a specialized technical term with a single, universal definition beyond its Latin root.

See also: transgression, transgressio.