Part 36

Pope.

4. Course of descent; genealogy; line of ancestors; lineage.

5. Honorable descent; noble or respectable stock; as, a man of family.

6. A group of kindred or closely related individuals; as, a family of languages; a family of States; the chlorine family.

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 zoˆlogy a family is less comprehesive than an order; in botany it is often considered the same thing as an order.

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 andd dependent upon him. (b) A man of domestic habits. "The Jews are generally, when married, most exemplary family men." Mayhew. -- Family of curves or 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.]

Fam"ine (?), n. [F. famine, fr. L. fames hunger; cf. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; want, need, Skr. hni loss, lack, h to leave.] General scarcity of food; dearth; a want of provisions; destitution. "Worn with famine." Milton.

There was a famine in the land.

Gen. xxvi. 1.

Famine fever (Med.), typhus fever.

Fam"ish (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Famished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Famishing.] [OE. famen; cf. OF. afamer, L. fames. See Famine, and cf. Affamish.] 1. To starve, kill, or destroy with hunger. Shak.

2. To exhaust the strength or endurance of, by hunger; to distress with hanger.

And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread.

Cen. xli. 55.

The pains of famished Tantalus he'll feel.

Dryden.

3. To kill, or to cause to suffer extremity, by deprivation or denial of anything necessary.

And famish him of breath, if not of bread.

Milton.

4. To force or constrain by famine.

He had famished Paris into a surrender.

Burke.

Fam"ish, v. i. 1. To die of hunger; to starve.

2. To suffer extreme hunger or thirst, so as to be exhausted in strength, or to come near to perish.

You are all resolved rather to die than to famish?

Shak.

3. To suffer extremity from deprivation of anything essential or necessary.

The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish.