google.com, pub-9220471781781135, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 Learn to speak English: Collective nouns

Friday, May 7, 2010

Collective nouns

Collective nouns are words used to define a group of objects. Here "objects" can be people, animals, emotions, inanimate things, concepts, or other things.

Subjects and their collective terms are given below.

ants

  • An army of ants
  • A bike of ants
  • A colony of ants
  • A swarm of ants

antelope

  • A cluster of antelope
  • A herd of antelope
  • A tribe of antelope

apes

  • A shrewdness of apes
  • A troop of apes

asses (roped)

  • A coffle of asses

asses (driven)

  • A drove of asses

asses

  • A herd of asses
  • A pace of asses

auks (on land)

  • A colony of auks

auks (at sea)

  • A flock of auks

auks (on water)

  • A raft of auks

baboons

  • A flange of baboons
  • A congress of baboons
  • A troop of baboons
  • A rumpus of baboons

bacterium

  • A culture of bacteria

badgers

  • A colony of badgers
  • A cete of badgers

bats

  • A cloud of bats
  • A colony of bats

bears

  • A sloth of bears

beavers

  • A colony of beavers

bees

  • A hive of bee
  • A swarm of bees

birds

  • A flock of birds

birds (in an aviary)

  • A volery of birds

bitterns

  • A siege of bitterns

blackfish

  • A grind of blackfish

boars

  • A singular of boars

boars (wild, 12 or more)

  • A sounder of wild boars

buffalo

  • A gang, herd, or obstinacy of buffalo

bullfinches

  • A bellowing of bullfinches

bullocks

  • A drove of bullocks

bursars

  • A cheat of bursars

butterflies

  • A rabble of butterflies

capons

  • A mews of capons

caribou

  • A herd of caribou

cats

  • A clowder of cats
  • A clutter (or cluster) of cats
  • A glaring of cats

caterpillars

  • An army of caterpillars

cattle

  • A herd of cattle

chickens

  • A brood of chickens

choughs

  • A chattering of choughs

civil servants

  • A file of civil servants

colts

  • A rag of colts
  • A rake of colts

conies

  • A bury of conies

coots

  • A covert of coots

cormorants

  • A flight of cormorants

courtiers

  • A threat of courtiers

coyotes

  • A pack of coyote

cranes

  • A sedge of cranes
crocodiles


  • A bask of crocodiles
crows

  • A hover of crows
  • A murder of crows
deer

  • A bunch of deer
  • A mob of deer
dogs

  • A kennel of dogs
dogfish

  • A troop of dogfish
dolphins

  • A school of dolphins
  • A team of dolphins
dotterel

  • A trip of dotterel
doves

  • A flight of doves
ducks (on water)

  • A bunch of ducks
  • A paddling of ducks
  • A raft of ducks
ducks

  • A safe of ducks
ducks (in flight)

  • A skein of ducks
  • A string of ducks
  • A team of ducks
elephants

  • A herd of elephants
  • A parade of elephants
elk

  • A gang of elk
ferrets

  • A busyness of ferrets
finches

  • A charm of finches
fish

  • A shoal of fish
  • A school of fish

fish (drawn, netted or driven)

  • A draft of fish
fish (caught or cooked)

  • A mess of fish

flamingoes

  • A stand of flamingoes

flies

  • A swarm of flies

foxes

  • A skulk of foxes

gingers

  • A flush of gingers
geese (on land)

  • A gaggle of geese
geese (in flight)

  • A skein of geese
gnats

  • A cloud of gnats
  • A ghost of gnats

goats

  • A trip of goats
goldfish


  • A troubling of goldfish
  • A glint of goldfish
gorillas

  • A band of gorillas
grouse

  • A pack of grouse
hares

  • A down of hares
  • A mute of hares
hedgehogs


  • An array of hedgehogs
herons


  • A siege of herons
hippopotamuses

  • A bloat of hippopotamuses
horses

  • A drove of horses
  • A string of horses
hounds


  • A cry of hounds
  • A pack of hounds
impediments


  • A vagary of impediments
insects


  • a swarm of insects
jays

  • A party of jays
  • A scold of jays
  • A band of jays
jellyfish


  • A smack of jellyfish
jugglers

  • A never thriving of jugglers
kites (birds)


  • A brood of kites
  • An eyrie of kites
  • A roost of kites
  • A kettle of kites
  • A stooping of kites
  • A soar of kites
  • A string of kites
kittens (cats)


  • A kindle of kittens
  • A smattering of kittens
kittens (rabbits)


  • A wrack of kittens
knights


  • A rout of knights
  • A banner of knights
ladies


  • A bevy of ladies
lambs


  • A fall of lambs
lapwings


  • A desert of lapwings
  • A deceit of lapwings
larks


  • An ascension of larks
  • An exaltation of larks
leopards


  • A leap of leopards
  • A spot of leopards
lions

  • A pride of lions
locusts

  • A plague of locusts
lorries

  • A convoy of lorries
magpies

  • A steal of magpies
  • A tiding(s) of magpies
mallards

  • A sord of mallards
  • A lute of mallards

martens

  • A richness of martens
matrons


  • A riches of matrons
moles


  • A labour of moles
  • A company of moles
  • A movement of moles
monitors

  • A bank of monitors
monks


  • An abomination of monks
monkeys

  • A circus of monkeys
  • A tribe of monkeys
  • A troop of monkeys
  • A mission of monkeys
mourners

  • A cortege of mourners
mosquitoes

  • A scourge of mosquitoes
mice

  • A mischief of mice
mules

  • A barren of mules
  • A rake of mules
natives

  • A tribe of natives
nightingales

  • A watch of nightingales
otters

  • A bevy of otters
  • A romp of otters
owls

  • A parliament of owls
  • A stare of owls

oxen

  • A team of oxen
  • A span of oxen
oysters (young)

  • A set of young oysters
parrots

  • A pandemonium of parrots
  • A company of parrots
partridges


  • A covey of partridges
peacocks


  • A pride of peacocks
  • A muster of peacocks
  • An ostentation of peacocks
pekingese


  • A pomp of Pekingese
penguins

  • A parcel of penguins
  • A rookery of penguins
  • A creche of penguins
  • A huddle of penguins
  • A colony of penguins
performers

  • A troupe of performers
pheasants

  • A covey of pheasants
  • A bouquet of pheasants
physicians

  • A college of physicians
platypi

  • An implausibility of platypi
pigs

  • A drove of pigs
  • A fleet of pigs
  • A herd of pigs
  • A sounder of pigs

pigeons

  • A kit of pigeons
  • A loft of pigeons
plovers

  • A congregation of plovers
polar bears

  • An aurora of polar bears
polecats

  • A chine of polecats
ponies

  • A string of ponies
porpoises

  • A school of porpoises
  • A turmoil of porpoises
possum

  • A passel of possum
quail

  • A covey of quail
raccoons

  • A gaze of raccoons
rats

  • A pack of rats
  • A rabble of rats
ravens

  • An unkindness of ravens
  • A conspiracy of ravens
rhinoceroses

  • A crash of rhinoceroses
roes

  • A bevy of roes
rooks

  • A building of rooks
  • A clamour of rooks
  • A parliament of rooks
ruffs

  • A hill of ruffs
salmon

  • A run of salmon
  • A bind of salmon
sandpipers

  • A fling of sandpipers
satellites

  • A constellation of satellites
sea fowl

  • A cloud of sea fowl
seagulls

  • A flock of seagulls
seals

  • A spring of seals
  • A pod of seals
  • A plum of seals
servants

  • An obeisance of servants
sharks

  • A shiver of sharks
sheep

  • A flock of sheep
show dogs

  • A bench of show dogs
skanks

  • A swathe of skanks
snails

  • A rout of snails
snipe

  • A walk of snipe
  • A wisp of snipe
sparrows

  • A ubiquity of sparrows
  • A quarrel of sparrows
  • A host of sparrows
spiders

  • A clutter of spiders
  • A cluster of spiders
squirrels

  • A dray of squirrels
staples

  • A troop of staples
stick insects

  • A bushel of stick insects
storks

  • A muster of storks
  • A phalanx of storks
swallows

  • A flight of swallows
  • A gulp of swallows
swans (flying)

  • A wedge of swans
swans

  • A gaggle of swans
  • A whiteness of swans
  • A bevy of swans
  • A bank of swans
swine

  • A sounder of swine
  • A drift of swine
teal

  • A spring of teal
  • A diving of teal
thrushes

  • A mutation of thrushes
tigers

  • A streak of tigers
  • An ambush of tigers

toads

  • A knot of toads
tourists


  • A crowd of tourists
trout


  • A hover of trout
turkeys

  • A flock of turkeys
  • A rafter of turkeys
  • A raffle of turkeys
turtles

  • A turn of turtles
  • A bale of turtles
turtledoves

  • A pitying of turtledoves
vampires

  • A house of vampires
vipers

  • A nest of vipers
walruses

  • A herd of walruses
waterfowl

  • A plump of waterfowl
  • A knob of waterfowl
weasels

  • A sneak of weasels
whales

  • A school of whales
  • A herd of whales
  • A pod of whales
  • A gam of whales
widgeon

  • A coil of widgeon
witches

  • A coven of witches
wolves

  • A pack of wolves
  • A rout of wolves
woodpeckers

  • A descent of woodpeckers
worms

  • A clew of worms
yeomen

  • A fellowship of yeomen
zebra

  • A herd of zebra
  • A dazzle of zebra
zombie

  • A horde of zombies
  • A plague of zombies

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