subfamily

[ suhb-fam-uh-lee, -fam-lee, suhb-fam-uh-lee, -fam-lee ]

/ sʌbˈfæm ə li, -ˈfæm li, ˈsʌbˌfæm ə li, -ˌfæm li /

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See synonyms for subfamily on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural sub·fam·i·lies.

Biology. a category of related genera within a family.

Linguistics. (in the classification of related languages within a family) a category of a higher order than a branch.Compare branch (def. 8), family (def. 16).

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Origin of subfamily

First recorded in 1825–35; sub- + family

Words nearby subfamily

suberic acid, suberin, suberization, suberize, suberose, subfamily, subfebrile, subfield, subfix, subfloor, subfreezing

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use subfamily in a sentence

Apparently it is more closely related to the subfamily Perognathinae.
Speciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii|Henry W. Setzer
The grouse is a northern bird, extending into far colder regions than any other subfamily of the gallinaceous group.
Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast|Harry Thom Payne
The third genus of the subfamily (Stephanella) is only known from Japan.
Freshwater Sponges, Hydroids & Polyzoa|Nelson Annandale
Chickadees (subfamily Parinæ) have a short, stout bill, the nostrils covered with bristles; the tail is rather long and rounded.
Color Key to North American Birds|Frank M. Chapman

Toes usually four, three front ones webbed; upper mandible curved and hooked; tail usually square (Gulls, subfamily Larinæ).
Color Key to North American Birds|Frank M. Chapman

British Dictionary definitions for subfamily

subfamily

/ (ˈsʌbˌfæmɪlɪ) /

noun plural -lies

biology a taxonomic group that is a subdivision of a family

any analogous subdivision, as of a family of languages

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

Scientific definitions for subfamily

subfamily

[ sŭb′făm′ə-lē ]

A subdivision of a family of organisms, containing one or more genera. The names of subfamilies in the animal kingdom typically end in -inae, as in Cerambycinae, a subfamily of the longhorn beetle family Cerambycidae.

subfamily

Origin of subfamily

Words nearby subfamily

Words related to subfamily

How to use subfamily in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for subfamily

Scientific definitions for subfamily