- Tribe
- Tribe 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.]
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
A wealthy Hebrew of my tribe. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
2. (Bot.) A number of species or genera having certain structural characteristics in common; as, a tribe of plants; a tribe of animals. [1913 Webster]
Note: By many recent naturalists, tribe has been used for a group of animals or plants intermediate between order and genus. [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
5. (Stock Breeding) A family of animals descended from some particular female progenitor, through the female line; as, the Duchess tribe of shorthorns. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
