sp.
Abbreviation with 10 meanings
| Stands for | Species |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 10 |
| Categories | Science & Engineering, Technology & Computing, Writing & Everyday, Sports, Geography & Places, Texting & Internet Slang, Medical |
| Also written | s.p., SP, sp, Sp. |
sp. has ten meanings. The most common are Species (biology) and Service pack (software); it can also stand for Spelling error, Starting pitcher, State Park, Single-player and Specialty pharmacy, plus 3 more listed below.
Meanings of sp. at a glance
| # | sp. stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Species | Science & Engineering › Biology |
| 2 | Service pack | Technology & Computing › Software |
| 3 | Spelling error | Writing & Everyday › Proofreading and Correction Mark |
| 4 | Starting pitcher | Sports › Baseball |
| 5 | State Park | Geography & Places › Geographic Feature |
| 6 | Single-player | Texting & Internet Slang › Gaming Slang |
| 7 | Specialty pharmacy | Medical › Pharmacy |
| 8 | Sine prole (without issue) | Writing & Everyday › Genealogy |
| 9 | Spanish | Writing & Everyday › Grammar and Dictionary |
| 10 | Spell out | Writing & Everyday › Proofreading and Correction Mark |
1. Species
Science & Engineering · Biology Abbreviations
Placed after a genus name when the exact species is unknown or unspecified, as in Bacillus sp. or Quercus sp. It signals that the organism belongs to the genus but has not been identified to species level.
Example: The isolate was identified as a Pseudomonas sp. related to soil-dwelling strains.
The abbreviation is not italicized even when the genus name is. Its plural is spp., and "cf." (compare) or "aff." (has affinity with) indicate tentative identifications. Writing "sp. nov." marks a newly described species in a formal description.
2. Service pack (SP)
Technology & Computing · Software Abbreviations
Bundle of updates, fixes and sometimes new features released as one installable package for an operating system or application. Windows XP Service Pack 2 (2004), which turned on the Windows Firewall by default, is one of the best known.
Example: The legacy app needs Windows 7 SP1 or later.
Microsoft largely abandoned service packs after Windows 7 SP1 (2011) in favor of monthly cumulative updates and twice-yearly or annual feature updates; SQL Server dropped them in 2017. Many enterprises once followed the rule of waiting for "SP1" before adopting any new Microsoft release. Each SP was cumulative, containing all earlier fixes.
3. Spelling error (sp)
Writing & Everyday · Proofreading and Correction Mark Abbreviations
Teacher's or editor's mark indicating a misspelled word, written above or beside the word or in the margin. It is the most familiar correction mark in school writing.
Example: Sp was circled over "recieve" and "definately" in the first paragraph of my report.
The rule "i before e except after c" explains "receive" but has many exceptions, such as "weird" and "science." On typeset proofs the same letters beside a circled item mean "spell out," so whether the document is a school paper or a publisher's proof decides the meaning. Some teachers also write "sp?" when unsure of a name.
4. Starting pitcher (SP)
Sports · Baseball Abbreviations
Pitcher who begins the game and is expected to pitch several innings. Most teams use a five-man rotation, giving each starter four days of rest between outings.
Example: The SP was pulled after 84 pitches in the sixth inning.
Starters' innings have declined steadily as teams avoid letting them face a lineup a third time. The Tampa Bay Rays popularized the "opener" in 2018, using a reliever for the first inning before the bulk pitcher.
5. State Park (SP)
Geography & Places · Geographic Feature Abbreviations
Park managed by a US state, abbreviated SP on maps and signs, as in Custer SP in South Dakota or Valley of Fire SP in Nevada.
Example: Reservations at Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP fill months ahead.
The Niagara Reservation, created in 1885, is the oldest state park in the United States. New York's Adirondack Park, a mix of public and private land, is the largest state-protected area in the contiguous US.
6. Single-player (SP)
Texting & Internet Slang · Gaming Slang Abbreviations
Game mode or game played alone against computer-controlled opponents, usually story-driven, as in "I only bought it for the SP." Reviews often judge it separately from online modes.
Example: I only bought it for the SP story, never touched online.
Contrasted with MP (multiplayer). Some games are "SP only," while others focus on online play. In RPGs SP can also mean skill points or stamina points, so context matters.
7. Specialty pharmacy (SP)
Medical · Pharmacy Abbreviations
Pharmacy that dispenses high-cost, complex medications, such as biologics, oral cancer drugs and treatments for HIV, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis and rare diseases, along with patient support, monitoring and insurance navigation.
Example: New Humira Rx sent to SP; they'll call the patient to arrange delivery and training.
Specialty drugs make up a small share of prescriptions but about half of US drug spending. Many specialty pharmacies are owned by PBMs or health systems and are accredited by organizations such as URAC or ACHC. Payers often require patients to use a designated specialty pharmacy.
8. Sine prole (without issue) (s.p.)
Writing & Everyday · Genealogy Abbreviations
Latin phrase recording that a person had no children, used in genealogies and peerage works, usually as d.s.p. or o.s.p. ("died without issue").
Example: Sir William Tyrell, 3rd Bt., d.s.p. 1749, and the baronetcy passed to his cousin.
More specific forms include s.p.m. (sine prole mascula, without male issue) and s.p.l. (sine prole legitima, without legitimate issue). Because many titles passed only through male heirs, d.s.p.m. explains why a title went to a brother or cousin. In biology, sp. means species, a different abbreviation.
9. Spanish (Sp.)
Writing & Everyday · Grammar and Dictionary Abbreviations
Identifies Spanish as the source language in etymologies and glossaries. Spanish loans in English cluster around ranching, food, geography and the American Southwest.
Example: canyon (n.) from Sp. cañón "tube, pipe," hence a deep narrow valley
Spanish gave English words such as rodeo, lasso, mosquito, tornado, patio and plaza, many through contact in Mexico and the American West. Some, like "chocolate" and "tomato," came from Nahuatl via Spanish. Variants include Span.; in biology, lowercase sp. means species.
10. Spell out (sp)
Writing & Everyday · Proofreading and Correction Mark Abbreviations
Proofreading mark instructing that an abbreviation, numeral or symbol be written out in full, for example changing "3" to "three" or "Dr." to "Doctor." The editor circles the item and writes sp in the margin.
Example: House style requires numbers under 10 as words, so the editor circled the 7 and wrote sp.
Because teachers use sp to mean a spelling error, publishers' charts specify that a circled item with sp means "spell out." AP style spells out numbers one through nine, while Chicago spells out zero through one hundred in general text. The same letters abbreviate Spanish and sine prole in other fields.
Related abbreviations
More biology abbreviations
- rRNA – Ribosomal RNA
- RT-PCR – Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
- RuBisCO – Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase
- SDS-PAGE – Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
- spp. – Species (plural)
- subsp. – Subspecies
- Taq – Thermus aquaticus (DNA polymerase)
- TCA – Tricarboxylic acid cycle
See all 75 biology abbreviations →
More software abbreviations
- ROM – ROM image
- RPM – RPM Package Manager
- RTM – Release to manufacturing
- SCCM – System Center Configuration Manager
- SPDX – Software Package Data Exchange
- SSPL – Server Side Public License
- SW – Software
- UWP – Universal Windows Platform
See all 70 software abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.