| adopt |
When you adopt something, you accept a new thing and make it your own. When people adopt a baby, the baby becomes part of their family. When people adopt pets, they bring them into their home and care for them for a long time. [1/2 definitions] |
| akin |
belonging to the same family; related; kin. [1/2 definitions] |
| alder |
a tree or shrub of the birch family that grows in mostly cool, damp areas and drops its leaves every year. |
| alfalfa |
a plant with purple flowers that is grown as food for cattle and horses. Alfalfa is a member of the legume family of plants. |
| alto |
a musical instrument having the second highest range in its family of instruments. [1/4 definitions] |
| ancestor |
An ancestor is a person of your family who lived a long time before you were born. The grandmother of your grandmother is one of your ancestors. [1/2 definitions] |
| aristocracy |
a class of people who have a high social position because of the family they are born into. Members of the aristocracy are usually richer and have more privileges than other members of society. [1/2 definitions] |
| ark |
(sometimes capitalized) in the Bible, the large boat built by Noah to save his family and two of every animal from a flood sent by God. [1/2 definitions] |
| baby |
the youngest person in a family or group. [1/6 definitions] |
| background |
If someone asks about your background, they often want to know things like where your family came from, where you have lived before now, and what things you have studied or done in your life. Sometimes "background" means where a person has worked before and what kind of work they have done. [1/2 definitions] |
| balsam fir |
a tree of the pine family, native to Canada and the northeastern United States. It is an evergreen tree and is cut for lumber and Christmas trees. |
| belong |
When you belong to something like a family or club or community, you are a part of it. You are one of the members of it. [1/4 definitions] |
| bison |
A bison is a big, powerful animal that is a member of the same animal family as the cow. It has a large head and body, and it has horns and hoofs. In the United States, bison are often called buffalo, but their true name is bison. |
| black sheep |
one who is very different from all the rest of his or her family and who is sometimes rejected or looked down on by that family. |
| blood |
family line or common family membership. [1/2 definitions] |
| breadwinner |
a member of a family or household who earns money to support the other members. |
| brood |
(informal) the children that belong to one family. [1/4 definitions] |
| brotherhood |
a warm and close feeling between brothers or between people who feel like they are family. [1/2 definitions] |
| buffalo |
A buffalo is a large animal that is a member of the same animal family as the cow. It has a large body, horns, and hooves. Different kinds of buffaloes live in Africa and Asia. In North America, there is an animal that people call a buffalo, but the true name of this animal in biology is "American bison." [1/2 definitions] |
| bug |
A bug is an insect or similar animal that crawls. The word "bug" is an informal word we use when we are talking with our friends or family. [1/5 definitions] |
| burro |
A burro is a small donkey. A donkey is an animal in the same family as a horse, but it is much smaller and has longer ears. Burros are often used for carrying things when people walk long distances or when they ride on horses or larger donkeys. |