n.
Pronunciation: ' tr ī b
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin tribus, a division of the Roman people, tribe
Date: 13th century
1 a : a social group comprising numerous families, clans, or generations together with slaves, dependents, or adopted strangers b : a political division of the Roman people orig. representing one of the three original tribes of ancient Rome c : PHYLE
2 : a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest
3 : a category of taxonomic classification ranking below a subfamily also : a natural group irrespective of taxonomic rank <the cat tribe > <the rose tribe >