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kindred

[kin-drid]
noun
  1. a person's relatives collectively; kinfolk; kin.
  2. a group of persons related to another; family, tribe, or clan.
  3. relationship by birth or descent, or sometimes by marriage; kinship.
  4. natural relationship; affinity.
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adjective
  1. associated by origin, nature, qualities, etc.: kindred languages.
  2. having the same belief, attitude, or feeling: We are kindred spirits on the issue of gun control.
  3. related by birth or descent; having kinship: kindred tribes.
  4. belonging to kin or relatives: kindred blood.
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Origin of kindred

1125–75; Middle English, variant (with epenthetic d) of kinrede. See kin, -red
Related formskin·dred·less, adjectivekin·dred·ness, nounkin·dred·ship, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

agnate, cognate, incident, kin, parallel, congeneric, clan, tribe, relationship, family, flesh, house, blood, consanguinity, affinity, connection, race, relation, lineage, cousin

Examples from the Web for kindreds

Historical Examples

  • So in the city there will be peoples, kindreds, and tongues of many nations.

    The Lost Ten Tribes, and 1882

    Joseph Wild

  • The people of San Francisco are of all kindreds and tongues.

  • But on his right hand he saw how they of the kindreds held them firm on the way.

  • No more as now telleth the tale of these Kindreds and Folks, but maketh an ending.

  • With these must needs be Bow-may, who was the closest shooter of all the kindreds.

British Dictionary definitions for kindreds

kindred

adjective
  1. having similar or common qualities, origin, etc
  2. related by blood or marriage
  3. kindred spirit a person with whom one has something in common
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noun
  1. relationship by blood
  2. similarity in character
  3. a person's relatives collectively
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Derived Formskindredness or kindredship, noun

Word Origin

C12 kinred, from kin + -red, from Old English rǣden rule, from rǣdan to rule
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for kindreds

kindred

n.

c.1200, kinraden, compound of kin (q.v.) + -rede, from Old English ræden "condition, rule," related to rædan "to advise, rule" (see read (v.)). With intrusive -d- (17c.) probably for phonetic reasons (cf. thunder) but perhaps encouraged by kind (n.). As an adjective, 1520s, from the noun.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
kindreds in Medicine

kindred

(kĭn′drĭd)
n.
  1. A group of related persons, such as a clan or tribe.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.