A set or circle of persons who meet familiarly, as for social, literary, or other purposes; a clique.

an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose

an exclusive group of people sharing interests.

a part of a colony of same-kind animals; sometimes a family of animals in a larger colony.

a division in a prairie dog town, usually made up of a family group: one adult male, up to four females and any young offspring.

a small group of animals that are in frequent social contact.

a set of mutually intersecting sets of processes