phylum

/ˈfaɪləm/
noun
  1. A major group in the classification of living things, ranking above class and below kingdom.
    • The phylum Chordata includes all animals with backbones.
    • Biologists discovered a new phylum of deep-sea worms.
    • Mollusks belong to the phylum Mollusca, which includes snails and octopuses.
Synonyms