Ap-pĕl'la-tĭve1, a.
a. [Fr. appellatif, Lat. appellativus, from appellare, to name, to call.] Pertaining to a common name; being the common name of a species. Cudworth.
2 entries under this word
Appellative
Ap-pĕl'la-tĭve2, n.
n. [Lat. appellativum, sc. nomen.]
Sense 1. A common name, in distinction from a proper name. A common name, or appellative, stands for a whole class, genus, or species of beings, or for universal ideas. Thus, 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.
Sense 2. An appellation or title. [Obs.]
God has chosen it for one of his appellatives to be the Defender of them. Bp. Taylor.