The body of persons who compose a community, tribe, nation, or race; an aggregate of individuals forming a whole; a community; a nation. Unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Gen. xlix. 10. The ants are a people not strong. Prov. xxx. 25. Before many peoples, and nations, and tongues. Rev. x. 11. Earth's monarchs are her peoples. Whitter . A government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people. T. Parker.
Persons, generally; an indefinite number of men and women; folks; population, or part of population; as, country people; -- sometimes used as an indefinite subject or verb, like on in French, and man in German; as, people in adversity. People were tempted to lend by great premiums. Swift . People have lived twenty-four days upon nothing but water. Arbuthnot .
The mass of comunity as distinguished from a special class; the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common crowd; as, nobles and people. And strive to gain his pardon from the people. Addison .
With a possessive pronoun:
One's ancestors or family; kindred; relations; as, my people were English.
One's subjects; fellow citizens; companions; followers. "You slew great number of his people." Shak.
To stock with people or inhabitants; to fill as with people; to populate. "Peopled heaven with angels." Dryden. As the gay motes that people the sunbeams. Milton .
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