tribe

[ trahyb ]
/ traɪb /

noun

Origin of tribe

1200–50; Middle English < Latin tribus tribe, orig., each of the three divisions of the Roman people; often taken as derivative of trēs three, though formation unclear

OTHER WORDS FROM tribe

sub·tribe, noun un·der·tribe, noun

Words nearby tribe

tribadism, tribal, tribalism, tribasic, tribasic sodium phosphate, tribe, tribelet, tribesman, tribespeople, tribeswoman, triblet

Example sentences from the Web for sub-tribe

British Dictionary definitions for sub-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)
  1. any of the three divisions of the ancient Romans, the Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans
  2. one of the later political divisions of the Roman people
  3. 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
  4. a phyle of ancient Greece
informal, often jocular
  1. a large number of persons, animals, etc
  2. a specific class or group of persons
  3. 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

Medical definitions for sub-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.