[tribe] n [ME, fr. L tribus, a division of the Roman people, tribe] (13c) 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 ~" "rose ~"