tribe
[ trahyb ]
/ traɪb /
noun
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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, nounWords 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
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, adjectiveWord 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
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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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.