Nat. Hist. [SUB- 7 b.] A primary subdivision of a family.
1833. Penny Cycl., I. 19/1. He denominates these subfamilies, cyprinoïdes, siluroïdes, salmonoïdes, clupeoïdes, and lucioïdes respectively.
1868. Rep. U.S. Comm. Agric. (1869), 87. The sub-family Melolonthidæ feed exclusively on vegetable matter.
1870. Rolleston, Anim. Life, 26. The congeneric subfamilies, under either great family of the Rasores and Columbidae respectively.
