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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |
| bursars | cheat | ||
| bustards | flock | ||
| butlers | draught | ||
| butterflies | flight | ||
| rabble | |||
| buzzards | wake | ||
| C | |||
| 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 | ||
| civil servants | file | ||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| eagles | convocation | ||
| eels | bed | ||
| swarm | |||
| elephants | herd | ||
| elk | gang | ||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| ibex | herd | ||
| ibises | colony | ||
| iguanas | mess | ||
| insects | flight | ||
| horde | |||
| plague | |||
| rabble | |||
| swarm | |||
| J | |||
| jackdaws | train | ||
| jays | band | ||
| party | |||
| scold | |||
| jellyfish | fluther | ||
| smack | |||
| K | |||
| kangaroos | mob | ||
| troop | |||
| L | |||
| lapwings | deceit or desert | ||
| larks | bevy | ||
| exaltation | |||
| leopards | leap or lepe | ||
| lions | pride | ||
| sawt | |||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | |||
| nightingales | watch | ||
| nuns | superfluity | ||
| O | |||
| owls | parliament | ||
| oxen | drove | ||
| team | |||
| yoke | |||
| 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 | |||
| quail | bevy | ||
| covey | |||
| drift | |||
| R | |||
| raccoons | gaze | ||
| ravens | unkindness | ||
| rhinoceroses | crash | ||
| rooks | building | ||
| parliament | |||
| 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 | |||
| teal | spring | ||
| tigers | ambush | ||
| streak | |||
| toads | knot | ||
| nest | |||
| trout | hover | ||
| turkeys | gang | ||
| rafter | |||
| turtles | bale | ||
| dole | |||
| nest | |||
| turtle doves | dole or dule | ||
| pitying | |||
| U | |||
| V | |||
| vipers | nest | ||
| 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 | |||
| Y | |||
| 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 and/or nouns:
“Thirty—the promise of a decade of loneliness, a thinning list of single men to know, a thinning brief-case of enthusiasm, thinning hair.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)
“Thirty—the promise of a decade of loneliness, a thinning list of single men to know, a thinning brief-case of enthusiasm, thinning hair.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)
“Like Freud, Jung believes that the human mind contains archaic remnants, residues of the long history and evolution of mankind. In the unconscious, primordial “universally human images” lie dormant. Those primordial images are the most ancient, universal and “deep” thoughts of mankind. Since they embody feelings as much as thought, they are properly “thought feelings.” Where Freud postulates a mass psyche, Jung postulates a collective psyche.”
—Patrick Mullahy (b. 1912)
“Children and savages use only nouns or names of things, which they convert into verbs, and apply to analogous mental acts.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)