Fun with Words--Collective Nouns
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Collective nouns are used for the names of groups of things, animals, or persons. You can read about them on Nouns. This page gives a different look at collective, or group, nouns.
Some names we give groups are commonplace: a herd of cattle, a swarm of bees, a flock of sheep, etc. Some are fanciful: a scourge of mosquitoes, a blessing of unicorns, a whiteness of storks. Some are funny (or try to be): a clutch of mechanics, a puddle of puppies, a clench of fists.
Here is a collection of names of groups. Some are used in everyday speech, some are not, some were probably just made up by a person having fun! Some of these are on the internet on the pages about collective nouns/names of groups. (A popular book on collective nouns is An Exaltation of Larks by James Lipton, published by Penguin Books.)
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Antelopes tribe, cluster, herd |
Cattle drove, mob (USA) |
Giraffes tower, journey, corps, kindergarten |
Mares (female horses) stud |
Rabbits coterie, down, drove, husk, bury, herd |
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Apes shrewdness |
Chamois herd |
Gnus implausibility, herd |
Martens richness |
Raccoons trip, wrack |
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Asses pace, herd |
Cheetahs coalition |
Goats trip, tribe, flock, herd |
Mice mischief, nest |
Racehorses string |
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Baboons flange, troop, tribe |
Chimpanzees cartload |
Gorillas herd |
Moles company, labor, movement |
Rats gaze, horde, nursery, mischief |
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Badgers cete |
Colts (young horses) rag |
Greyhounds leash |
Monkey barrel, mission, troop, rake |
Rhinoceroses crash |
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Beavers lodge, colony, family |
Cows kine, flink (12 cows) |
Guinea pigs group |
Moose herd |
Seals bob, pod, spring, herd |
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Bears sloth |
Coyotes flight, band |
Hares husk, mute, drove, trace, trip, down |
Mules barren, pack |
Sheep flock, fold, drove, mob (Australian) |
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Bears (polar) pack |
Curs (mongrel dogs) cowardice |
Hippopotami crash, herd, bloat |
Otters raft, romp, family |
Squirrels scurry, dray |
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Bison herd |
Deer mob, herd, leash |
Horses harras, herd, troop |
Oxen team, drove, herd |
Tigers ambush, sneak |
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Bloodhounds suite |
Deer (roe deer) parcel, bevy |
Hounds pack, cry, mute |
Pigs (hogs, swine) drift, drove, sounder, team, passel |
Wallabies mob |
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Boars (wild) singular |
Dogs pack, kennel |
Hyenas clan, cackle |
Piglets trip, litter |
Walruses pod, herd |
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Bucks brace, lash |
Donkeys pace, drove, herd |
Jackrabbits husk |
Polecats bouquet, chine |
Weasels sneak, pack, confusion |
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Buffalos gang, obstinacy, herd |
Elephants parade, crash, herd |
Kangaroos mob, troop |
Ponies drove, string |
Wolves rout, pack |
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Camels caravan, flock |
Elk mob, herd |
Lemurs groups |
Porcupines, hedgehogs prickle |
Wombats warren |
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Cats glaring, clowder, pounce, clutter, comfort |
Ferrets business, fesnying |
Leopards leap |
Possums chine |
Yaks herd |
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Cats (kittens) kindle, litter |
Foxes skulk, leash, earth, troop |
Lions pride, sawt. souse. troop |
Prairie Dogs passel |
Zebras zeal, herd, dazzle |
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Cats (wild) destruction |
Gerbils, hamsters horde |
Llamas herd |
Puppies litter, puddle |
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Bitterns, Cranes, sedge |
Finches charm, trim |
Magpies tittering, tidings, gulp |
Sparrows host, quarrel, fold |
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Bobolinks chain |
Flamingoes flamboyance |
Mallards sord |
Starlings murmuration, clattering |
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Budgies chatter |
Geese gaggle |
Nightingales watch |
Storks phalanx, mustering |
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Buzzards wake |
Flying Geese wedge, skein |
Ostriches pride |
Swallows flight, gulp |
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Chicken flock, peep |
Geese in water plump |
Owls parliament, study, stare, wisdom |
Swans lamentation, squadron, bank |
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Chicks (young chicken) clutch, chattering |
Goldfinches charm, chattering, drum |
Parrots pandemonium, company |
Swifts flock |
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Coots cover, raft |
Goslings skein |
Peacocks ostentation, pulchritude |
Teal spring |
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Cormorants gulp, solitude, flight |
Grouse, Partridges Quail covey |
Penguins Crèche, huddle, colony |
Thrushes mutation |
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Crows murder, hover |
Guillemots bazaar |
Pheasants nye, bouquet, parcel, covey |
Turkeys hurtle, raft, trip gang, posse |
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Curlews herd, head |
Hawks aerie, cast, kettle, boil |
Pigeons flight, kit |
Vultures committee |
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Doves dule, flight |
Hens Brood |
Plovers stand, wing, congregation |
Waterfowl plump, knob |
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Turtle doves pitying |
Herons scattering, sedge |
Ravens conspiracy, unkindness, mischief |
Widgeons company, trip |
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Ducks wing, flush, flock |
Hummingbirds shimmer, charm |
Rooks building, clamor, rookery |
Woodcocks fall |
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Ducks on water paddling, raft |
Jays scold, party, band |
Ruffs hill |
Woodpeckers descent |
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Dunlins fling |
Lapwings deceit |
Seagulls squabble |
Wrens herd |
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Eagles aerie, convocation |
Larks exaltation, ascension |
Snipes wisp, walk |
Eggs clutch |
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Ants army, colony |
Caterpillars army |
Grasshoppers cluster, cloud |
Snails walk, escargatoire |
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Bacteria culture |
Cockroaches intrusion |
Hornets nest |
Spiders clutter |
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Bats cloud, colony |
Flies cloud, business, swarm, hatch |
Lice flock |
Termites brood, colony, nest |
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Bees grist, erst, colony, cast |
Fungus colony |
Locusts plague, swarm, cloud |
Wasps pladge |
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Butterflies
flutter, kaleidoscope, rabble |
Gnats horde, cloud |
Mosquitoes scourge |
Worms clew |
A School of Fish, A Shiver of Snakes
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Barracudas battery |
Dolphins, Porpoises pod, school |
Minnows stream |
Toads knot, knab |
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Bass shoal |
Eels swarm |
Rattlesnakes rhumba |
Turtle bale, dole, turn, nest |
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Clams, Oysters bed |
Frogs knot, colony |
Salmon bind, run |
Vipers pet, nest, den, bed |
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Cobras quiver |
Goldfish glint, troubling |
Sardines family |
Whales gam, pod, grind |
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Crabs bushel |
Herrings army, glean, shoal |
Sharks crash, shiver, colony |
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Crocodiles bask, float |
Iguanas mess |
Snakes shiver, knot, nest |
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Dogfish troop |
Jellyfish smack, stuck, fluther |
Swordfish flotilla |
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Academics faculty |
Beauties bevy |
Experts panel |
People crowd, mob, family |
Thieves den, gang |
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Actors cast, troupe, company |
Candidates slate |
Fishermen fleet |
Policemen posse |
Tourists flock |
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Angels host, chorus |
Directors board |
Lepers colony |
Sailors crew |
Witches coven |
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Athletes team |
Employees staff |
Men band |
Soldiers squad |
Worshippers congregation |
*from Erik S.: "Quagmire of Idiots"
From John B.: A hammering of carpenters; a flood of plumbers
From Gay W.: A compassion of nurses, an examination of doctors; an impersonation of Elvis's
From Thomas C: "A cleft of vampires, a battery of guns."
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Aircraft wing |
Dragons weyr, flight |
Islands chain |
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Arrows quiver |
Fairies troop, herd |
Poems, Prose anthology |
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Asteroids belt |
Flowers bed, patch, bouquet |
Ships fleet, flotilla, armada |
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Bananas, Grapes bunch |
Grass, Reeds, Weeds clump |
Trees clump, forest, stand |
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Bread, Cookies, Biscuits batch |
Homework slew, pile |
Trucks convoy, fleet |
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Cards deck |
Information wealth |
Unicorns marvel, blessing |
Use your imagination and make up some collective nouns of your own! I will post the best ones on the site from time to time.
They can be for animals: a spouting of whales; a whinny of horses, a twitter of robins.
They can be for people: A curl of hair dressers, a giggle of teen-age girls, an arrangement of florists.
They can be for anything you want! An assembly of halls, a cuddle of babies, a **salutement of soldiers. (**Notice that you can make-up the words too!)