superfamily

superfamily
noun Date: circa 1890 1. a category of biological classification ranking below an order and above a family 2. a large group of closely related molecules or chemical compounds usually possessing a similar function

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Superfamily — Su per*fam i*ly, n. (Zo[ o]l.) A group intermediate between a family and a suborder. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • superfamily — [so͞o′pər fam΄ə lē] n. pl. superfamilies 1. a natural subdivision ranking above a family and below an order, usually less extensive than a suborder 2. Linguis. a category of language classification that is above the family, often proposed as a… …   English World dictionary

  • superfamily — 1) a category of the family group above family; the highest category dealt with in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature 2) an individual taxon of the category superfamily. The recommended ending is oidea …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • Superfamily (linguistics) — In linguistics, a superfamily is a phyletic unit encompassing several language families. The term is generally used for conjectural families, e.g. the Nostratic, Dené Caucasian, Altaic, and Proto World groupings. The term is typically invoked to… …   Wikipedia

  • superfamily Muroidea — noun a superfamily of rodents essentially equal to the suborder Myomorpha but with the Dipodidae excluded • Syn: ↑Muroidea • Hypernyms: ↑mammal family • Member Holonyms: ↑Myomorpha, ↑suborder Myomorpha • M …   Useful english dictionary

  • superfamily — n. [L. super, over; familia, family] In classification, above the family and below the order …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • superfamily — /sooh peuhr fam euh lee, fam lee/, n., pl. superfamilies. Biol. a category of related families within an order or suborder. [1870 75; SUPER + FAMILY] * * * …   Universalium

  • superfamily — noun A taxonomic category above family and below order (and its subdivisions) …   Wiktionary

  • superfamily — su·per·fam·i·ly sü pər .fam (ə )lē n, pl lies 1) a category of taxonomic classification between a family and an order or a suborder 2) a large group of closely related molecules or chemical compounds usu. possessing a similar function * * *… …   Medical dictionary

  • superfamily — n. (Biology) group of related families within an order or suborder; category of classification ranked below order and above family …   English contemporary dictionary

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