1. (n.) A family, race, or series of generations, descending from the same progenitor, and kept distinct, as in the case of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from the twelve sons of Jacob.

2. (n.) A number of species or genera having certain structural characteristics in common; as, a tribe of plants; a tribe of animals.

3. (n.) A nation of savages or uncivilized people; a body of rude people united under one leader or government; as, the tribes of the Six Nations; the Seneca tribe.

4. (n.) A division, class, or distinct portion of a people, from whatever cause that distinction may have originated; as, the city of Athens was divided into ten tribes.

5. (n.) A family of animals descended from some particular female progenitor, through the female line; as, the Duchess tribe of shorthorns.

6. (v. t.) To distribute into tribes or classes.

age group animal kingdom band battalion bevy biotype blood body branch brand breed brigade brood bunch cabal cast caste character clan class clique cohort color company complement contingent corps coterie covey crew crowd deme denomination description designation detachment detail division dynasty ethnic group faction family feather fleet folk form gang genotype genre gens genus grain group grouping groupment house ilk in-group junta kidney kin kind kindred kingdom label line lineage lot make manner mark matriclan mob mold movement nation nature number order out-group outfit pack party patriclan pedigree peer group people persuasion phalanx phratry phyle phylum plant kingdom platoon posse race regiment salon section seed sept series set shape sort species squad stable stamp stem stirps stock strain string stripe style subclass subfamily subgenus subkingdom suborder subspecies subtribe superclass superfamily superorder superspecies team the like of the likes of totem troop troupe type variety wing