sub·fam·i·ly (s b f m  -l )n. pl. sub·fam·i·lies 1. Biology A taxonomic category of related organisms ranking between a family and a genus. 2. Linguistics A division of languages below a family and above a branch. |
subfamily [ˈsʌbˌfæmɪlɪ]
n pl -lies
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) Biology a taxonomic group that is a subdivision of a family
2. any analogous subdivision, as of a family of languages
| subfamily (sbfm-l) A subdivision of a family of organisms, containing one or more genera. The names of subfamilies in the animal kingdom typically end in -inae, as in Cerambycinae, a subfamily of the longhorn beetle family Cerambycidae. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | subfamily - (biology) a taxonomic category below a family Latinae - a subfamily of the family Centropomidae biological science, biology - the science that studies living organisms family - (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more genera; "sharks belong to the fish family" |
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