APPEL'LATIVE, adjective Pertaining to a common name; noting the common name of a species.

APPEL'LATIVE, noun A common name in distinction from a proper name. A common name or appelative stands for a whole class, genus or species of beings, or for universal ideas. Thus man is the name of the whole human race, and fowl of all winged animals. Tree is the name of all plants of a particular class; plant and vegetable are names of things that grow out of the earth. A proper name, on the other hand, stands for a single thing, as, London, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston.