Tribe

n. [Lat. tribus, originally a third part of the Roman people, afterward a division of the people, a tribe, perhaps from the Æolic τριττύς, equivalent to τριττύς, a third part; Fr. & Sp. tribu, It. tribu.]

1. 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. “A wealthy Hebrew of my tribe.” Shak.
2. (Nat. Hist.) A number of things having certain characters or resemblances in common; as, a tribe of plants; a tribe of animals.

By recent naturalists, tribe has been used for a division of animals or vegetables intermediate between order and genus.

3. 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 in America.
4. A division, class, or distinct portion of people or persons, from whatever cause that distinction may have originated; as, the city of Athens was divided into ten tribes.