Definitions

1. noun

A specimen or specimen designated to serve as the type of a taxon, especially when the type is lost or destroyed, and often used as a reference for the description and classification of the taxon.

“The botanist chose a lectotype to describe the newly discovered species of orchid.”

2. noun

A standard of reference for a particular concept or idea, especially in the context of intellectual or artistic movements.

“The artist’s lectotype for modern expressionism was a painting by Matisse.”