subfamily
[ suhb-fam-uh-lee, -fam-lee, suhb-fam-uh-lee, -fam-lee ]
/ sʌbˈfæm ə li, -ˈfæm li, ˈsʌbˌfæm ə li, -ˌfæm li /
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 14).
Words nearby subfamily
suberic acid,
suberin,
suberization,
suberize,
suberose,
subfamily,
subfebrile,
subfertility,
subfield,
subfix,
subfloor
Example sentences from the Web for subfamily
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
Medical definitions for subfamily
subfamily
[ sŭb′făm′ə-lē ]
n.
A taxonomic category ranking between a family and a genus.
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.