tribe
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tribe¹
- /tɹaɪb/
Rhymes with -aɪb
Where it comes from
PIE word
*tréyes
From Middle English tribe, tribu, from Old French tribu, from Latin tribus. Doublet of tribus. Displaced native Old English hād (“tribe, group”).
noun tribes
- An ethnic group larger than a band or clan (and which may contain clans) but smaller than a nation (and which in turn may constitute a nation with other tribes). The tribe is often the basis of ethnic identity. the Twelve Tribes of Israel; Germanic tribes; Celtic tribes
- A tribal nation or people. This leaves for consideration of this group of small tribes, or subtribes, so far as mapped by the writer quoted, the Teule, Cazcan, and Tecuexe.
- A nation or people considered culturally primitive, as may be the case in Africa, Australia or Native America.
- A socially cohesive group of people within a society. Near-synonyms: nation; ingroup
- A class or group of things. In 1968, estimates of the number of active reprint publishers ranged from about 20 to 100 publishers. The fact that almost 300 U.S. reprint publishers have been identified is evidence that the reprint tribe continues to increase.
- A hierarchical rank between family and genus. The tempo of evolution in South American hamsters was very rapid – in the course of the Pliocene and Anthropocene 40 genera were formed here, at which time a series of them attained the level of tribe and subtribe (Oxymycteri, Phyllotiini, Ichthyomyini).
- A species or group of similar species of animal. The cod may not improperly be placed at the head of the migrating or wandering tribe of fish.
- A group of affiliated Mardi Gras Indians.
- A collective noun for various animals.
- A family of animals descended from some particular female progenitor, through the female line. the Duchess tribe of shorthorns
Similar: tribus
verb tribes · tribing · tribed
- To distribute into tribes or classes; to categorize. 1696-1699, William Nicolson, English Historical Library Our fowl, fish, and quadruped are well tribed.
Tribe²
Where it comes from
Southern English surname of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Latin tribus.
proper noun Tribes
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: folk, clan, kin, kindred, kin group, kinship group, tribal, ethnic, ethnicity, colony, strain, village, bunch, gallery, tribute, pride
noun
Similar: tribus
Translations
Every language
noun group of people
| Español | tribu |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 겨레 gyeore, 부족 bujok, 민족 minjok |
| 日本語 | 部族 buzoku, 民族 minzoku |
| 中文 | 部落 bùluò, 部族 bùzú |
| हिन्दी | जनजाति janjāti |
| Kiswahili | kabila |
| Português | tribo |
| Français | tribu |
| Deutsch | Stamm, Volksstamm, Sippe, Volk, Völkchen, Völklein |
| Italiano | tribù |
| Ελληνικά | φύλο fýlo, φυλή fylí |
| Română | trib |
| Русский | пле́мя plémja, род rod |
| Tiếng Việt | bộ lạc, bộ tộc |
| العربية | قَبِيلَة qabīla, عَشِيرَة ʕašīra, قَوْم qawm |
| עברית | שֵׁבֶט shévet |
noun taxonomy: hierarchical rank between family and genus
| Deutsch | Tribus |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | φύλο fýlo |
| Русский | триба triba |
| العربية | قَبِيلَة qabīla |
noun collective noun (see at the relevant animal entry)
| Kiswahili | kabila |
|---|
Talk about this word "tribe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tribe. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tribe. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tribe "tribe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tribe.Cite this
@misc{tribe_2026,
title = {tribe},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tribe},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
