This is a list of Standard English collective nouns. The large number of collective nouns in English is based on a tradition of venery which arose in the Late Middle Ages.
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z See also References |
Standard terms for particular groups are listed first in each group and shown in bold.
Subject | Collective Noun | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|
A | A ! | ||
alligators | congregation | ||
antelope | herd | ||
ants | army | ||
bike | |||
colony | |||
nest | |||
swarm | |||
apes | shrewdness | ||
troop | |||
asses | herd | ||
coffle | a roped line | ||
drove | driven in a group | ||
pace or passe | |||
auks | colony | on land | |
flock | at sea | ||
raft | on water | ||
avocets | colony | ||
B | B ! | ||
baboons | troop | ||
badgers | cete | ||
colony | |||
barbels | shoal | ||
bats | cloud | ||
colony | |||
bears | sleuth or sloth | ||
beavers | colony | ||
family | |||
bees | swarm | ||
colony | |||
erst | |||
grist | |||
birds | flock | ||
dissimulation | fanciful | ||
fleet | |||
flight | |||
parcel | |||
pod | |||
volary | in an aviary | ||
bishops | bench | ||
bison | herd | ||
bitterns | sedge or sege | ||
siege | |||
boars (male pigs) | herd | See also hogs, pigs, swine | |
singular | |||
boars (wild boars) | sounder | 12 or more | |
boys | blush | ||
buffalo | herd | ||
gang | |||
bullfinches | bellowing | ||
bullocks | drove | driven in a group | |
bustards | flock | ||
butlers | draught | ||
butterflies | flight | ||
rabble | |||
buzzards | wake | ||
C | C ! | ||
camels | caravan | ||
flock | |||
train | |||
capercaillie | tok | ||
capons | mews | ||
caribou | herd | ||
cats | clowder | ||
cluster or clutter | |||
glaring | |||
pounce | |||
cats (wild cats) | destruction | ||
caterpillars | army | ||
cattle | herd | ||
drove | |||
chickens | brood | ||
clutch | |||
peep | |||
choughs | chattering or clattering | ||
cobblers | drunkenship or drunkship | ||
colts | rag | ||
rake | |||
cormorants | gulp | ||
cooks | hastiness | ||
coots | covert | ||
coyotes | pack | ||
cranes | herd | ||
sedge or sege | |||
crocodiles | bask | ||
float | |||
crows | murder | ||
curlews | herd | ||
D | D ! | ||
deer | herd | ||
bunch | |||
mob | |||
parcel | |||
rangale | |||
dogs | pack | ||
dogfish | troop | ||
dolphins | pod | ||
school | |||
team | |||
dotterel | trip | ||
doves | dole or dule | fanciful | |
flight | |||
piteousness | fanciful | ||
ducks | flock | ||
badling | |||
brace | |||
bunch | on water | ||
paddling | on water | ||
plump | |||
raft | on water | ||
skein | in flight | ||
sord or sore | |||
string | in flight | ||
team | in flight | ||
waddling | |||
dunlins | fling | ||
E | E ! | ||
eagles | convocation | ||
eels | bed | ||
swarm | |||
elephants | herd | ||
elk | gang | ||
F | F ! | ||
ferrets | business | corruption over time of 'busyness' | |
busyness | |||
fesnyng | |||
finches | charm or chirm | ||
fish | school | ||
shoal | |||
flamingoes | stand | ||
flies | business | ||
cloud | |||
swarm | |||
foresters | stalk | ||
foxes | leash | ||
skulk | |||
frogs | army | ||
G | G ! | ||
geese | flock | on land | |
gaggle | on land | ||
plump | flying close | ||
skein | in flight | ||
team | in flight | ||
wedge | in flight | ||
giraffes | herd | ||
corps | |||
tower | |||
gnats | cloud | ||
horde | |||
rabble | |||
swarm | |||
goats | flock | ||
herd | |||
tribe | |||
trip or trippe | |||
gods | pantheon | See Pantheon | |
goldfinches | charm | ||
goosanders | dopping | ||
gorillas | band | ||
whoop | |||
goshawks | flight | ||
grasshoppers | cloud | ||
swarm | |||
grouse | covey | ||
pack | |||
guineafowl | rasp | ||
H | H ! | ||
hares | down | ||
drove | |||
flick | |||
husk | |||
hawks | boil | two or more spiralling in flight | |
cast | |||
kettle | flying in large numbers | ||
lease | |||
harts | herd | ||
hedgehogs | array | ||
herons | sedge or sege | ||
siege | |||
hermits | observance | ||
hippopotamuses | bloat | ||
hogs | parcel | See also boars, pigs, swine | |
horses | team | in harness | |
band | |||
haras or harrase | |||
herd | |||
stable | |||
string | |||
stud | |||
hounds | pack | ||
cry | |||
hunt | |||
meet | |||
mute | |||
stable | |||
hyenas | cackle | ||
I | I ! | ||
ibex | herd | ||
ibises | colony | ||
iguanas | mess | ||
insects | flight | ||
horde | |||
plague | |||
rabble | |||
swarm | |||
J | J ! | ||
jackdaws | train | ||
jays | band | ||
party | |||
scold | |||
jellyfish | fluther | ||
smack | |||
K | K ! | ||
kangaroos | mob | ||
troop | |||
L | L ! | ||
lapwings | deceit or desert | ||
larks | bevy | ||
exaltation | |||
leopards | leap or lepe | ||
lions | pride | ||
sawt | |||
M | M ! | ||
mackerel | shoal | ||
magpies | charm | ||
congregation | |||
gulp | |||
murder | |||
tiding | |||
tittering | |||
mallard | brace | ||
flush | |||
puddling | |||
sord | |||
suit or sute | |||
mares | stud | ||
martens | richesse or richness | ||
mice | nest | ||
mischief | |||
trip | |||
minnows | shoal | ||
moles | company | ||
labor or labour | |||
monkeys | barrel | ||
cartload | |||
tribe | |||
troop | |||
wilderness | |||
moorhens | plump | ||
moose | herd | ||
mosquitoes | scourge | ||
mudhens | fleet | ||
mules | barren | ||
pack | |||
rake | |||
span | |||
N | N ! | ||
nightingales | watch | ||
nuns | superfluity | ||
O | O ! | ||
owls | parliament | ||
oxen | drove | ||
team | |||
yoke | |||
P | P ! | ||
parrots | company | ||
pandemonium | |||
partridges | covey | ||
peacocks | muster | ||
ostentation | |||
pride | |||
pelicans | pod | ||
pheasants | bouquet | ||
head | |||
nest | |||
nide | |||
nye | |||
pigs | drift | See also boars, hogs, swine | |
drove | |||
pipers | poverty | ||
pigeons | kit | flying together | |
plovers | congregation | ||
stand | |||
wing | |||
Q | Q ! | ||
quail | bevy | ||
covey | |||
drift | |||
R | R ! | ||
raccoons | gaze | ||
ravens | unkindness | ||
rhinoceroses | crash | ||
rooks | building | ||
parliament | |||
S | S ! | ||
salmon | bind | ||
draught | |||
run | |||
sandpipers | fling | ||
seals | herd | ||
pod | |||
rookery | |||
sheep | flock | ||
down | |||
drift | when driven in a group | ||
drove | when driven in a group | ||
herd | |||
hurtle | |||
meinie | |||
mob | |||
parcel | |||
trip | |||
sheldrake | dopping | ||
snails | escargatoire | ||
rout | |||
walk | |||
snakes | bed | ||
den | |||
knot | |||
nest | |||
pit | |||
snipe | walk | ||
whisp or wisp | |||
sparrows | host | ||
meinie | |||
tribe | |||
spiders | cluster or clutter | ||
squirrels | colony | ||
dray | |||
scurry | |||
starlings | chattering | ||
clattering | |||
cloud | |||
congregation | |||
murmuration | |||
stoats | pack | ||
trip | |||
storks | flight | ||
mustering | |||
phalanx | when migrating | ||
swallows | flight | ||
gulp | |||
swans | bank | on the ground | |
bevy | |||
drift | |||
eyrar | |||
flight | |||
game | |||
herd | |||
lamentation | fanciful | ||
sownder | |||
team | |||
wedge | in flight | ||
whiting | |||
swifts | flock | ||
scream | |||
swine | doylt | See also boars, hogs, pigs | |
drift | |||
trip | |||
T | T ! | ||
teal | spring | ||
tigers | ambush | ||
streak | |||
toads | knot | ||
nest | |||
trout | hover | ||
turkeys | gang | ||
rafter | |||
turtles | bale | ||
dole | |||
nest | |||
turtle doves | dole or dule | ||
pitying | |||
U | U ! | ||
V | V ! | ||
vipers | nest | ||
W | W ! | ||
walruses | herd | ||
pod | |||
waterfowl | bunch | ||
knob | |||
raft | |||
weasels | colony | ||
pack | |||
whales | gam | ||
herd | |||
mob | |||
pod | |||
wigeons | company | ||
trip | |||
wildfowl | bunch | ||
knob | fewer than 30 | ||
plump | |||
trip | |||
wolves | pack | ||
rout or route | when in movement | ||
woodcocks | fall | ||
woodpeckers | descent | ||
wrens | herd | ||
X | X ! | ||
Y | Y ! | ||
Z | Z ! | ||
zebras | herd | ||
cohort | |||
zeal |
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Top A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z See also References |
Famous quotes containing the words list of, list, collective, nouns and/or term:
“I made a list of things I have
to remember and a list
of things I want to forget,
but I see they are the same list.”
—Linda Pastan (b. 1932)
“Do your children view themselves as successes or failures? Are they being encouraged to be inquisitive or passive? Are they afraid to challenge authority and to question assumptions? Do they feel comfortable adapting to change? Are they easily discouraged if they cannot arrive at a solution to a problem? The answers to those questions will give you a better appraisal of their education than any list of courses, grades, or test scores.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“Speed is good only when wisdom leads the way. The end of this journey, whether to the high horizons of hope or the depths of destruction, will be determined by the collective wisdom of the people who live on this shrinking planet.”
—James Poe (19211980)
“All the facts of nature are nouns of the intellect, and make the grammar of the eternal language. Every word has a double, treble or centuple use and meaning.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)
“... feminism is a political term and it must be recognized as such: it is political in womens terms. What are these terms? Essentially it means making connections: between personal power and economic power, between domestic oppression and labor exploitation, between plants and chemicals, feelings and theories; it means making connections between our inside worlds and the outside world.”
—Anica Vesel Mander, U.S. author and feminist, and Anne Kent Rush (b. 1945)