| 1. | a class or group of individual objects, people, animals, etc., of the same nature or character, or classified together because they have traits in common; category: Our dog is the same kind as theirs. |
| 2. | nature or character as determining likeness or difference between things: These differ in degree rather than in kind. |
| 3. | a person or thing as being of a particular character or class: He is a strange kind of hero. |
| 4. | a more or less adequate or inadequate example of something; sort: The vines formed a kind of roof. |
| 5. | Archaic.
|
| 6. | Obsolete. gender; sex. |
| 7. | in kind,
|
| 8. | kind of, Informal. to some extent; somewhat; rather: The room was kind of dark. |
| 9. | of a kind, of the same class, nature, character, etc.: They are two of a kind. |

of a kind
Of some sort, but not a typical or perfect specimen. For example, They have a backyard of a kind, but it's tiny. This usage was first recorded in 1895. For a synonym, see of sorts.
one of a kind. A unique instance, as in There are no others like it; this hybrid daylily is one of a kind, or She's extremely generous, one of a kind. Also see two of a kind.