What does corvus mean?
Corvus is a Latin noun meaning "raven" or "crow," borrowed into English primarily through science. In biology it designates the genus that contains the true crows, ravens, rooks, and jackdaws — a group of large passerine birds celebrated for their remarkable intelligence, problem-solving ability, and complex social behavior. In astronomy, Corvus is also the name of a small but distinctive southern-hemisphere constellation, traditionally depicted as a crow perched near Hydra. Because both uses are technical proper designations, the word is normally capitalized in print. Derived adjectives such as "corvine" and "corvid" carry the same root into general ornithological vocabulary, describing anything crow-like in character. Though rarely heard in everyday conversation, Corvus is a rewarding word to know: it links classical language, cutting-edge animal-cognition research, and ancient star lore in a single term.
nounThe Latin word for a raven or crow, used in English chiefly as the scientific genus name for true crows, ravens, and related birds, and as the name of a small southern constellation representing a crow.
- A taxonomic genus of birds comprising the true crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws and related corvids.
- A small southern constellation whose name is Latin for 'the crow' or 'the raven'.
- (Latin, historical) The Latin word meaning 'raven' or 'crow', encountered in classical texts.
"The genus Corvus includes some of the most intelligent birds known to science."
"Species of Corvus have been observed fashioning tools from twigs to extract insects."
"The constellation Corvus lies just west of Spica, brightest star of Virgo."
As a genus name, Corvus functions as a fixed scientific designation rather than an ordinary countable noun, so a plural is seldom needed; where one is required in a Latin context, the classical plural corvi is used.
"Several species of Corvus inhabit the same woodland."
Corvus is Latin for raven — and it names both one of the smartest groups of animals on Earth and a small constellation shaped like a crow in the southern sky.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of corvus
Corvus comes directly from Latin, in which it was the standard word for a raven or crow and is cognate with Greek korax and with the Germanic words that gave English "raven." The same root produced the adjective "corvine" (crow-like), the family name Corvidae (the crow family), and, via Latin corvus marinus or similar compounds, the seabird name "cormorant." Its adoption into English scientific usage dates from the formalization of biological nomenclature in the eighteenth century, while the constellation name preserves an ancient Greco-Roman figure transmitted through Ptolemy's star catalogue.
Related word forms
How corvus is actually used
In modern English, "Corvus" is almost always capitalized because it appears either as a formal genus name in zoological nomenclature or as an IAU-designated constellation name; the lowercased Latin form is met mainly in classical studies.
Easily confused with corvus
Corolla is part of a flower or a car model, whereas Corvus is a bird genus or constellation.