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Swarm vs Tribe - What's the difference?

swarm | tribe | Related terms |

In transitive terms the difference between swarm and tribe

is that swarm is to overwhelm as by an opposing army while tribe is to distribute into tribes or classes; to categorize.

As nouns the difference between swarm and tribe

is that swarm is a large number of insects, especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony while tribe is a socially, ethnically, and politically cohesive group of people.

As verbs the difference between swarm and tribe

is that swarm is to move as a swarm while tribe is to distribute into tribes or classes; to categorize.

swarm

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A large number of insects, especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony.
  • * Milton
    • a deadly swarm of hornets
  • A mass of people, animals or things in motion or turmoil.
    • a swarm of meteorites
  • * Addison
    • those prodigious swarms that had settled themselves in every part of it [Italy]
  • (label) A group of nodes sharing the same torrent in a BitTorrent network.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (lb) To move as a swarm .
  • *
  • *:There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy. Mail bags, so I understand, are being put on board. Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors.
  • (lb) To teem, or be overrun with insects, people, etc.
  • *(Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
  • *:Every place swarms with soldiers.
  • (lb) To fill a place as a swarm .
  • (lb) To overwhelm as by an opposing army.
  • To climb by gripping with arms and legs alternately.
  • * (1748–1828)
  • *:At the top was placed a piece of money, as a prize for those who could swarm up and seize it.
  • *1919 , , (The Moon and Sixpence) ,
  • *:She called out, and a boy came running along. He swarmed up a tree, and presently threw down a ripe nut. Ata pierced a hole in it, and the doctor took a long, refreshing draught.
  • To breed multitudes.
  • *(John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • *:Not so thick swarmed once the soil / Bedropped with blood of Gorgon.

    • See also

    *

    Anagrams

    * (l) English collective nouns

    tribe

    English

    (wikipedia tribe)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A socially, ethnically, and politically cohesive group of people.
  • (anthropology) A society larger than a band but smaller than a state.
  • The collective noun for various animals.
  • (taxonomy) A hierarchal rank between family and genus.
  • (stock breeding) A family of animals descended from some particular female progenitor, through the female line.
    • the Duchess tribe of shorthorns

    Derived terms

    * tribal * tribelet

    See also

    * ethnic *

    Verb

    (trib)
  • To distribute into tribes or classes; to categorize.
  • * Archbishop Nicolson
    • Our fowl, fish, and quadruped are well tribed .

    Anagrams

    * English collective nouns