Search results for 'family':

family noun (families) 1 a group consisting of a set of parents and children. Compare nuclear family. 2 a group of people related to one another by blood or marriage. Compare extended family. 3 a person's children. 4 a household of people. 5 all those descended from a common ancestor. 6 a related group, eg of races, languages, etc. 7 biol in taxonomy: any of the groups, eg Canidae (dogs, wolves, etc), into which an order (sense 11) is divided and which in turn is subdivided into one or more genera (see genus sense 1). 8 math a collection of curves in the equations of which different values are given to the parameters. 9 as adj: a belonging to or specially for a family • family car • family get-together; b concerning the family • family matters; c suitable for the whole family, or for children as well as parents • family pub • family viewing. in the family way colloq pregnant.
ETYMOLOGY: 14c: from Latin familia household, from famulus servant.