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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]


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.
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2. The group comprising a husband and wife and their
dependent children, constituting a fundamental unit in the
organization of society.
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The welfare of the family underlies the welfare of
society. --H. Spencer.
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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.
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Go ! and pretend your family is young. --Pope.
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4. Course of descent; genealogy; line of ancestors; lineage.
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5. Honorable descent; noble or respectable stock; as, a man
of family.
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6. A group of kindred or closely related individuals; as, a
family of languages; a family of States; the chlorine
family.
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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.
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{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]
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