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family |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: 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. 2. The group comprising a husband and wife and their dependent children, constituting a fundamental unit in the organization of society. The welfare of the family underlies the welfare of society. --H. Spencer. 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. Go ! and pretend your family is young. --Pope. 4. Course of descent; genealogy; line of ancestors; lineage. 5. Honorable descent; noble or respectable stock; as a man of family. 6. A group of kindred or closely related individuals; as a family of languages; a family of States; the chlorine family. 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 zo["o]logy a family is less comprehesive than an order in botany it is often considered the same thing as an order {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 andd dependent upon him b A man of domestic habits. ``The Jews are generally, when married, most exemplary family men.'' --Mayhew. {Family of} {curves or 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.] From WordNet r 1.6 [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: {household}, {house}, {home}, {menage}] 2: primary social group parents and children; "he wanted to have a good job before starting a family" [syn: {family unit}] 3: a collection of things sharing a common attribute; "there are two classes of detergents" [syn: {class}, {category}] 4: people descended from a common ancestor; "his family had lived in Masachusetts since the Mayflower" [syn: {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}] 6: (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more genera; "sharks belong to the fish family" 7: 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: {fellowship}]
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