— phylar , adj.
/fuy"leuhm/ , n. , pl. phyla /-leuh/ .
1. Biol. the primary subdivision of a taxonomic kingdom, grouping together all classes of organisms that have the same body plan.
2. Ling. a category consisting of language stocks that, because of cognates in vocabulary, are considered likely to be related by common origin. Cf. stock (def. 13).
[ 1875-80; phylon tribe, stock; see PHYLON ]