Definitions for: Tribe


[n] group of people related by blood or marriage
[n] (biology) a taxonomic category between a genus and a subfamily
[n] a federation (as of American Indians)
[n] a social division of (usually preliterate) people



Webster (1913) Definition: Tribe, n. [L. tribus, originally, a third part of the
Roman people, afterwards, a division of the people, a tribe;
of uncertain origin: cf. F. tribu.]
1. A family, race, or series of generations, descending from
the same progenitor, and kept distinct, as in the case of
the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from the twelve
sons of Jacob. ``The Lion of the tribe of Juda.'' --Rev.
v. 5.

A wealthy Hebrew of my tribe. --Shak.

2. (Bot.) A number of species or genera having certain
structural characteristics in common; as, a tribe of
plants; a tribe of animals.

Note: By many recent naturalists, tribe has been used for a
group of animals or plants intermediate between order
and genus.



3. A nation of savages or uncivilized people; a body of rude
people united under one leader or government; as, the
tribes of the Six Nations; the Seneca tribe.

4. A division, class, or distinct portion of a people, from
whatever cause that distinction may have originated; as,
the city of Athens was divided into ten tribes.

5. (Stock Breeding) A family of animals descended from some
particular female progenitor, through the female line; as,
the Duchess tribe of shorthorns.


Tribe, v. t.
To distribute into tribes or classes. [R.]

Our fowl, fish, and quadruped are well tribed. --Abp.
Nicolson.

Synonyms: clan, federation of tribes, folk, kin, kin group, kindred, kinship group

See Also: Bambuseae, Bovini, clan member, clansman, clanswoman, family, family tree, family unit, folks, genealogy, Maya, Mayan, moiety, Nahuatl, nation, phyle, relation, relative, social group, taxon, taxonomic group, totem, tribe Bambuseae, tribe Bovini, Tribes of Israel, tribesman, Twelve Tribes of Israel

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