Result from Foreign Dictionaries (3 entries found)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: natural family \nat"u*ral fam"i*ly\, n. (Biol.) a group of living organisms classed as a {family} in a toxonomic classification. [PJC] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Family \Fam"i*ly\, n.; pl. {Families}. [L. familia, fr. famulus servant; akin to Oscan famel servant, cf. faamat he dwells, Skr. dh[=a]man house, fr. dh[=a]to set, make, do: cf. F. famille. Cf. {Do}, v. t., {Doom}, {Fact}, {Feat}.] 1. The collective body of persons who live in one house, and under one head or manager; a household, including parents, children, and servants, and, as the case may be, lodgers or boarders. [1913 Webster] 2. The group comprising a husband and wife and their dependent children, constituting a fundamental unit in the organization of society. [1913 Webster] The welfare of the family underlies the welfare of society. --H. Spencer. [1913 Webster] 3. Those who descend from one common progenitor; a tribe, clan, or race; kindred; house; as, the human family; the family of Abraham; the father of a family. [1913 Webster] Go ! and pretend your family is young. --Pope. [1913 Webster] 4. Course of descent; genealogy; line of ancestors; lineage. [1913 Webster] 5. Honorable descent; noble or respectable stock; as, a man of family. [1913 Webster] 6. A group of kindred or closely related individuals; as, a family of languages; a family of States; the chlorine family. [1913 Webster] 7. (Biol.) A group of organisms, either animal or vegetable, related by certain points of resemblance in structure or development, more comprehensive than a genus, because it is usually based on fewer or less pronounced points of likeness. In Zoology a family is less comprehesive than an order; in botany it is often considered the same thing as an order. [1913 Webster] {Family circle}. See under {Circle}. {Family man}. (a) A man who has a family; esp., one who has a wife and children living with him and dependent upon him. (b) A man of domestic habits. "The Jews are generally, when married, most exemplary family men." --Mayhew. {Family of curves} or {Family of surfaces} (Geom.), a group of curves or surfaces derived from a single equation. {In a family way}, like one belonging to the family. "Why don't we ask him and his ladies to come over in a family way, and dine with some other plain country gentlefolks?" --Thackeray. {In the family way}, pregnant. [Colloq. euphemism] [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: family n 1: a social unit living together; "he moved his family to Virginia"; "It was a good Christian household"; "I waited until the whole house was asleep"; "the teacher asked how many people made up his home" [syn: {family}, {household}, {house}, {home}, {menage}] 2: primary social group; parents and children; "he wanted to have a good job before starting a family" [syn: {family}, {family unit}] 3: a collection of things sharing a common attribute; "there are two classes of detergents" [syn: {class}, {category}, {family}] 4: people descended from a common ancestor; "his family has lived in Massachusetts since the Mayflower" [syn: {family}, {family line}, {folk}, {kinfolk}, {kinsfolk}, {sept}, {phratry}] 5: a person having kinship with another or others; "he's kin"; "he's family" [syn: {kin}, {kinsperson}, {family}] 6: (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more genera; "sharks belong to the fish family" 7: a loose affiliation of gangsters in charge of organized criminal activities [syn: {syndicate}, {crime syndicate}, {mob}, {family}] 8: an association of people who share common beliefs or activities; "the message was addressed not just to employees but to every member of the company family"; "the church welcomed new members into its fellowship" [syn: {family}, {fellowship}]