tribe

[ trahyb ]

/ traɪb /

noun

any aggregate of people united by ties of descent from a common ancestor, a community of customs and traditions, adherence to the same leaders, etc.: the twelve tribes of Israel.

a local division of an aboriginal people: the tribes of Africa.

a division of some other people or nation.

a company, group, or number of people: a noisy tribe of children in the yard.

a group or class of people with strong common traits, values, or interests: the mindset of the tribe of art historians.

a large family: They seem to have invited the whole tribe.

a class or type of animals, plants, or inanimate objects: The robin is, next to the sparrow, the boldest of our feathered tribe.Over there is a tribe of mismatched stuffed chairs.

Biology.

a category in the classification of organisms usually between a subfamily and a genus or sometimes between a suborder and a family.
any group of closely related plants or animals.

Animal Husbandry. a group of animals, especially cattle, descended through the female line from a common female ancestor.

Roman History.

any one of three divisions of the people representing the Latin, Sabine, and Etruscan settlements.
any of the later political divisions of the people.

Greek History. a phyle.

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to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.

to cause to be empty or unoccupied.

to assent tacitly; agree; consent.

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Origin of tribe

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Old French tribu, from Latin tribus “tribe,” originally, any of the three divisions of the Roman people; perhaps of Etruscan origin, perhaps a derivative of trēs (masculine and feminine), tria (neuter) “three” (combining form tri-) + -bus, a suffix of unclear formation; See three

OTHER WORDS FROM tribe

subtribe, nounun·der·tribe, noun

Words nearby tribe

tribadism, tribal, tribalism, tri-band, tribasic, tribe, tribelet, tribesman, tribespeople, tribeswoman, triblet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for tribe

“The tribe is really made of people who put travel as a priority in their entire lifestyle,” says Evita.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A running joke inside the tribe is that the group is like that club with a hundred people waiting outside to get in.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Tiger Lily and her tribe, however, were outfitted in semi-realistic outfits (read: nearly naked).
‘Peter Pan Live!’ Review: No Amount of Clapping Brings It to Life|Kevin Fallon|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As the bill failed in the Senate, a pigtailed member of the Lakota Sioux tribe stood up in the gallery and began chanting.
Keystone Senate Failure Is Environmental Kabuki Theater|Ben Jacobs|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

They agreed to let McKell and Moss join their tribe for a few days.
London’s Pagan Counterculture Kings|Justin Jones|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The shields varied in form and material from tribe to tribe.
Homer and His Age|Andrew Lang
While it was for this tribe that the agency at Fort Snelling was established, yet the Chippewas often frequented its headquarters.
Old Fort Snelling|Marcus L. Hansen
Had she desired she might have remained and resumed an easy life with her tribe.
Whitman's Ride Through Savage Lands|Oliver Woodson Nixon
When old Katasha exerted herself it behooved all the daughters of her tribe to be in attendance.
The Sun Maid|Evelyn Raymond
He went to Washington to plead for the tribe, and returning, left his wigwam among the Indians after a time, and went to Texas.
Tenting on the Plains|Elizabeth B. Custer

British Dictionary definitions for tribe

tribe

/ (traɪb) /

noun

a social division of a people, esp of a preliterate people, defined in terms of common descent, territory, culture, etc

(an ethnic or ancestral division of ancient cultures, esp of one of the following)

any of the three divisions of the ancient Romans, the Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans
one of the later political divisions of the Roman people
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
a phyle of ancient Greece

informal, often jocular

a large number of persons, animals, etc
a specific class or group of persons
a family, esp a large one

biology a taxonomic group that is a subdivision of a subfamily

stockbreeding a strain of animals descended from a common female ancestor through the female line

Derived forms of tribe

tribeless, adjective

Word Origin for tribe

C13: from Latin tribus; probably related to Latin trēs three

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

Medical definitions for tribe

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.

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tribe

noun

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British Dictionary definitions for tribe

noun

Derived forms of tribe

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Medical definitions for tribe

n.

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tribe

noun

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Origin of tribe

OTHER WORDS FROM tribe

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Example sentences from the Web for tribe

British Dictionary definitions for tribe

noun

Derived forms of tribe

Word Origin for tribe

Medical definitions for tribe

n.