Main Entry: tribe

Pronunciation: \ˈtrīb\

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 originally 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>