tribe
Use Tribe in a sentence
noun
1.
2.
a local division of an aboriginal people.
3.
a division of some other people.
4.
a class or type of animals, plants, articles, or the like.
5.
Animal Husbandry. a group of animals, especially cattle, descended through the female line from a common female ancestor.
6.
Biology.
a.
a category in the classification of organisms usually between a subfamily and a genus or sometimes between a suborder and a family.
b.
any group of plants or animals.
7.
a company, group, or number of persons.
8.
a class or set of persons, especially one with strong common traits or interests.
9.
a large family.
10.
Roman History.
a.
any one of three divisions of the people representing the Latin, Sabine, and Etruscan settlements.
b.
any of the later political divisions of the people.
11.
Greek History. a phyle.
Origin:
1200–50; Middle English < Latin tribus tribe, orig., each of the three divisions of the Roman people; often taken as derivative of trēs three, though formation unclear
1200–50; Middle English < Latin tribus tribe, orig., each of the three divisions of the Roman people; often taken as derivative of trēs three, though formation unclear
Related forms
sub·tribe, noun
un·der·tribe, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To tribe
00:10
Tribe
is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
tribe (traɪb) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a social division of a people, esp of a preliterate people, defined in terms of common descent, territory, culture, etc |
| 2. | an ethnic or ancestral division of ancient cultures, esp of one of the following |
| a. any of the three divisions of the ancient Romans, the Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans | |
| b. one of the later political divisions of the Roman people | |
| c. any of the 12 divisions of ancient Israel, each of which was named after and believed to be descended from one of the 12 patriarchs | |
| d. a phyle of ancient Greece | |
| 3. | informal, jocular often |
| a. a large number of persons, animals, etc | |
| b. a specific class or group of persons | |
| c. a family, esp a large one | |
| 4. | biology a taxonomic group that is a subdivision of a subfamily |
| 5. | stockbreeding a strain of animals descended from a common female ancestor through the female line |
| [C13: from Latin tribus; probably related to Latin trēs three] | |
| 'tribeless | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
tribe
mid-13c., "one of the twelve divisions of the ancient Hebrews," from O.Fr. tribu, from L. tribus "one of the three political/ethnic divisions of the original Roman state" (Tites, Ramnes, and Luceres, corresponding, perhaps, to the Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans), later, one of the 30 political divisions
instituted by Servius Tullius (increased to 35 in 241 B.C.E.), perhaps from tri- "three" + *bhu-, root of the verb be. Others connect the word with the root of Welsh tref "town, inhabited place." In the Biblical sense, which was the original one in English, the Latin word translates Gk. phyle "race or tribe of men, body of men united by ties of blood and descent, a clan" (see physic). Extension to any ethnic group or race of people is first recorded 1590s. Tribal "characterized by strong group loyalty" is recorded from 1951.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
tribe (trīb)
n.
An occasional taxonomic category placed between a subfamily and a genus or between a suborder and a family and usually containing several genera.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Slang Dictionary
tribe definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Easton
Bible Dictionary
Tribe definition
a collection of families descending from one ancestor. The "twelve tribes" of the Hebrews were the twelve collections of families which sprang from the sons of Jacob. In Matt. 24:30 the word has a wider significance. The tribes of Israel are referred to as types of the spiritual family of God (Rev. 7). (See ISRAEL, KINGDOM OF ØT0001909; JUDAH, KINGDOM OF.)
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Example sentences
She said that she felt her tribe and family were what made her who she was.
Obviously this author has no concept of the males role in the family group and the tribe.
Most of the money coming into the tribe is from federal grants of one sort or another.
Humans will adjust by limiting births at a tribe level.
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