phylum

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Biology A primary division of a kingdom, as of the animal kingdom, ranking next above a class in size. See Table at taxonomy.
2. n. Linguistics A large division of possibly genetically related families of languages or linguistic stocks.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Any primary division or subkingdom of the animal or vegetable kingdom. , , , , , Cuvier recognized four animal types which would now be called phyla: the Radiata, Mollusca, Articulata, and Vertebrata. Zoologists now recognize at least seven such phyla:
2. n. The graphic representation of the evolution of one or several forms of animal life by descent with modification from preexisting ancestors, on the principle of the construction of a genealogical table or “family tree.”
3. n. In botany, a great group or sub-kingdom of the vegetable kingdom, next above a class. The Spermatophyta or seed-bearing plants constitute a phylum, formerly known as flowering plants or phanerogams. The cryptogams, or so-called flowerless plants, are now subdivided into several phyla. The vascular cryptogams constitute the phylum Pteridophyta. The Bryophyta are usually regarded as a phylum. With regard to the lower cellular cryptogams (Algæ, Fungi, etc.) the classification into phyla is still unsettled.

Wiktionary

1. n. A rank in the classification of organisms, below kingdom and above class; also called a division, especially in describing plants; a taxon at that rank

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. One of the larger divisions of the animal kingdom; a branch; a grand division.
2. n. A series of animals or plants genetically connected.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. (biology) the major taxonomic group of animals and plants; contains classes
2. n. (linguistics) a large group of languages that are historically related