Collective nouns
These are nouns that represent a group of more than one thing. The collective noun in this sentence is highlighted in bold font:
My uncle owns a flock of sheep.
One of the most common uses of collective nouns is to describe groups of various types of animals. Some of the names used to describe groups of animals are very weird. Here are some of them:
Group name |
Animals used with |
Herd |
Buffalo, cattle, deer, donkeys, elephants, horses, kangaroos, pigs |
Destruction |
Feral cats |
Pod |
Whales, dolphins, seals |
Nest |
Vipers, snakes |
Ambush |
Tigers |
Muster |
Storks, peacocks |
Host |
Sparrows |
Murder |
Crows |
Crash |
Rhinoceros |
Litter |
Pups, pigs, cubs, dogs, kittens |
Shoal |
Most types of fish |
Flock |
Most types of birds, sheep |
Pride |
Lions |
Brood |
Hens, chickens |
Colony |
Ants, beavers, penguins, frogs, rabbits |
Swarm |
Bees, flies, rats |
Convocation |
Eagles |
Kine |
Cows |
Sloth |
Bears |
Culture |
Bacteria |
Shrewdness |
Apes |
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