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:
“My list of things I never pictured myself saying when I pictured myself as a parent has grown over the years.”
—Polly Berrien Berends (20th century)
“A man’s interest in a single bluebird is worth more than a complete but dry list of the fauna and flora of a town.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Ideally, advertising aims at the goal of a programmed harmony among all human impulses and aspirations and endeavors. Using handicraft methods, it stretches out toward the ultimate electronic goal of a collective consciousness.”
—Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980)
“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 (1803–1882)