a group of families who are related to each other, especially in Scotland （尤指苏格兰的）宗族，氏族，家族 the Macleod clan 麦克劳德氏族 clan warfare 宗族冲突
Culture clansclansA clan is a Scottish social group whose members usually claim to come from the same family. In the 11th century, tribes living in Scotland divided into small clans that settled round lochs (= lakes) and glens (= valleys), and on the islands. Among the most powerful were the Campbells and the MacGregors of Argyll, the MacLeods and the MacDonalds of the Western Isles, the MacKays of Caithness and the Stewarts of Appin. The chief of each clan had complete authority. Clansmen were known by the name of their father, and this was shown by adding Mac- to the beginning of the father's name. Many Scottish surnames begin with Mac-. Being a member of a clan did not in fact depend on sharing the same name, and many clan members were not related to the chief, but were admitted to the clan as supporters.The clans often fought one another. The most famous argument was between the Campbells and the MacDonalds. After William III became king in 1688, many clans joined the Jacobites who supported the former Roman Catholic king, James II. When William ordered all the clans to swear allegiance to him (= swear that they support him), the MacDonalds of Glencoe failed to do so. The Campbells were sent to punish them, resulting in the Massacre of Glencoe (1692), in which many MacDonalds were murdered.The clans fought together with the Jacobites against the English in 1715 and again, under Bonny Prince Charlie, in 1745, but they were finally defeated at the Battle of Culloden (1746). Many clansmen were killed or put in prison. Soon afterwards, the Highland Clearances, in which the crofts (= small farms) of many Scots were destroyed by the owners of the land to make way for sheep farming, further reduced the influence of the clans.After Culloden, the clans were not permitted to wear tartan (= cloth made of wool, with large, coloured squares) because it was thought to be a symbol of the desire for an independent Scotland. A tartan kilt (= man's knee-length skirt) was an important part of a clansman's traditional clothing, but individual tartan patterns were not associated with a particular clan until Victorian times. Today, Scotsmen generally only wear kilts on special occasions.Clans are still important in Scotland, especially in the Highlands. Many people outside Scotland, especially in the US, are proud of having Scottish ancestors and being members of a clan.Extra ExamplesTopics Family and relationshipsc1He became clan chief after his father's death. 他父亲死后，他成了族长。 Heavy fighting between rival clans was reported. 据报道，敌对部族之间发生了激烈的战斗。 His grandfather was a descendant of the Guthrie clan in Scotland. 他的祖父是苏格兰格思里家族的后裔。 In past times, it was a meeting place for local clans. 在过去，这里是当地部落的聚集地。 The political allegiances of the Highland clans were complex. 高地部族的政治忠诚是复杂的。
- (informal, sometimes humorous)
a very large family, or a group of people who are connected because of a particular thing 庞大的家族；宗派；帮派；小集团 She's one of a growing clan of stars who have left Hollywood. 她是离开好莱坞的越来越多的明星之一。 There's a photo of the whole Kennedy clan on the bookshelf. 书架上有一张肯尼迪家族的全家福。
Word Originlate Middle English: from Scottish Gaelic clann ‘offspring, family’, from Old Irish cland, from Latin planta ‘sprout’.