Definition: All members of your domestic circle, human and animal (Merriam-Webster Online).
Sample usage: "We had to put down a member of the furmily last week. And Rover's not looking good, either."
Popularity: If you use "fur children" to distinguish pets from your "skin children," you'll like the word. But "family" is fur-neutral, whereas "furmily" implies Dad doesn't belong if he shaves his back hair.
JAMES LILEKS
Interested in other words we've dissected? See more from the archive at startribune.com/word.
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