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Affixes

-idae

Taxonomic groups.

Latin, from Greek ‑idai, plural of ‑idēs, offspring of.

In animal classifications, the ending indicates a family (a group of genera): the Laridae family contains the gulls and terns; Amoebidae the amoebas; Felidae the cats, including the lions and tigers. In plants, such names usually refer to a higher classification variously called a superorder or subclass. For example, the Liliidae contains the lilies and orchids and the Rosidae the roses and many other plants. See also ‑ae and ‑inae.