family \fam"ily\, n.; pl. families. l. familia, fr. famulus
   servant; akin to oscan famel servant, cf. faamat he dwells,
   skr. dh=aman house, fr. dh=ato set, make, do: cf. f.
   famille. cf. do, v. t., doom, fact, feat.
   1. the collective body of persons who live in one house, and
      under one head or manager; a household, including parents,
      children, and servants, and, as the case may be, lodgers
      or boarders.
      1913 webster

   2. the group comprising a husband and wife and their
      dependent children, constituting a fundamental unit in the
      organization of society.
      1913 webster

            the welfare of the family underlies the welfare of
            society.                              --h. spencer.
      1913 webster

   3. those who descend from one common progenitor; a tribe,
      clan, or race; kindred; house; as, the human family; the
      family of abraham; the father of a family.
      1913 webster

            go  and pretend your family is young. --pope.
      1913 webster

   4. course of descent; genealogy; line of ancestors; lineage.
      1913 webster

   5. honorable descent; noble or respectable stock; as, a man
      of family.
      1913 webster

   6. a group of kindred or closely related individuals; as, a
      family of languages; a family of states; the chlorine
      family.
      1913 webster

   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 zoology a family is less comprehesive than an
      order; in botany it is often considered the same thing as
      an order.
      1913 webster

   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 and dependent upon him.
      b a man of domestic habits. "the jews are generally,
          when married, most exemplary family men." --mayhew.

   family of curves or family of 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. euphemism
      1913 webster
see also:
families do doom fact feat family circle 
circle family man family of curves family of surfaces in a family way 
in the family way 

family man
     n : a man whose family is of major importance in his life