sept
/sɛpt/
noun
- A clan, tribe, or family group, especially in Irish or Scottish history.
- The genealogist traced her ancestry back to a small sept from County Cork.
- The O'Neills were a powerful sept in medieval Ireland.
- Each sept had its own chief and lands in the Scottish Highlands.
- A subdivision of a larger tribe or clan.
- Members of the same sept often shared a surname.
- The clan was divided into several septs, each with its own territory.
- The sept gathered annually for a festival to honor their ancestors.