Collective Nouns
In these lessons, we will learn collective nouns. Collective nouns are words for groups of people, animals or things.
Here are some words for groups of people. They are singular countable nouns.
| a community | a family |
| an audience | a company |
| a club | a team |
| a band | a corporation |
| a choir | a society |
Here are some collective nouns that we can use for groups of people.
| a troop of soldiers | a board of directors |
| a troupe of performers | a panel of doctors |
| a crowd of people | a panel of judges |
| a multitude of people | a team of players |
| a class of children | a gang of robbers |
| a host of angels | a company of actors |
Sometimes groups of animals have their own special collective nouns.
| a school of whales | a drove of ponies |
| a school of dolphin | a brood of chickens |
| a pack of wolves | a litter of kittens |
| a flock of sheep | a litter of puppies |
| a flock of birds | a herd of elephants |
| a swarm of bees | a herd of cattle |
| a nest of rabbits | a troop of monkeys |
Here are some collective nouns that we can use for groups of things.
| a bunch of bananas | a row of houses |
| a bunch of keys | a series of numbers |
| a set of tools | a bouquet of flowers |
| a pile of sand | a string of pearls |
| a suite of furniture | a galaxy of stars |
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Collective Nouns
What are Collective Nouns? Collective nouns are words used to define a group of two or more objects.
Some examples are:
A school of fish
A swarm of bees
An audience of listeners
A bouquet of flowers
A deck of cards
A bunch of bananas
A forest of trees
A galaxy of stars
A colony of bats
A litter of kittens
A team of oxen
A litter of piglets
A crew of sailors
A flock of seagulls
A range of mountains
An atlas of maps
A class of students
Subject-verb agreement can be tricky when the subject of our sentence is a collective noun for a generic noun.
A collective noun names a class or a group. Nouns like "jury," "committee," or "group" are collective nouns. A generic noun represents a typical member of a group.
Usually, the things described as a collective noun functions as a unit, and is therefore treated as a singular noun.
For example, "The committee grant its permission for the artist to place her sculpture in the park." The collective noun, "committee" is talking about a number of people, but they're acting as one unit to give permission for this artist to place her sculpture in the park. Therefore, the noun, "committee" takes the singular verb "grants" and the singular pronoun, "its" when talking bout what it does.
However, things can get a little bit trickier when the members of a collective noun or the things described by a collective noun function as individuals rather than a group. For example: "The committee put their signatures on the document." Since all of the members of the committee would have to individually sign a document, and they couldn't act as a group in this case, we treat "committee" as a plural noun which makes the plural verb, "put" and the plural pronoun, "their."
Generic nouns are grammatically singular. This sentence, "The black bear are remarkably strong climbers" isn't talking about a particular bear but some member of the group, "The black bear." Nonetheless, because we're talking about one particular bear, we treat this as a singular noun and it should take the singular verb and the singular predicate noun. "The black bear is a remarkably strong climber" would be the correct way to write this sentence.
10 Peculiar Collective Nouns
A lounge of lizards
A shrewdness of apes
A coalition of cheetah
A peep of chickens
An obstinacy of buffalos
A rhumba of rattlesnakes
A murder of crows
A wisdom of wombats
A pandemonium of parrots
A smack of jelly fish
More collective nouns for animals.
| herd | of | antelope |
| army | of | ants |
| colony | of | ants |
| swarm | of | ants |
| shrewdness | of | apes |
| flange | of | baboons |
| congress | of | baboons |
| tribe | of | baboons |
| culture | of | bacteria |
| cete | of | badgers |
| colony | of | badgers |
| sleuth | of | bears |
| sloth | of | bears |
| pack | of | bears (polar bears) |
| colony | of | beavers |
| lodge | of | beavers |
| flight | of | bees |
| grist | of | bees |
| hive | of | bees |
| swarm | of | bees |
| congregation | of | birds |
| dissimulation | of | birds |
| flight | of | birds |
| flock | of | birds |
| volery | of | birds |
| sedge | of | bitterns |
| siege | of | bitterns |
| herd | of | boar |
| singular | of | boar |
| sounder | of | boar |
| chain | of | bobolinks |
| brace | of | bucks |
| clash | of | bucks |
| herd | of | buffalo |
| rabble | of | butterflies |
| swarm | of | butterflies |
| wake | of | buzzards |
| flock | of | camels |
| army | of | caterpillars |
| clowder | of | cats |
| clutter | of | cats |
| glaring | of | cats |
| pounce | of | cats |
| dout | of | cats (house cats) |
| nuisance | of | cats (house cats) |
| kindle | of | cats (kittens) |
| litter | of | cats (kittens) |
| destruction | of | cats (wild cats) |
| drove | of | cattle |
| herd | of | cattle |
| kine | of | cattle |
| team | of | cattle |
| yoke | of | cattle (two) |
| herd | of | chamois |
| brood | of | chickens |
| flock | of | chickens |
| peep | of | chickens |
| brood | of | chicks |
| chattering | of | chicks |
| clutch | of | chicks |
| cartload | of | chimpanzees |
| herd | of | chinchillas |
| bed | of | clams |
| quiver | of | cobras |
| rag | of | colts |
| rake | of | colts |
| bury | of | conies |
| cover | of | coots |
| flight | of | cormorants |
| band | of | coyotes |
| sedge | of | cranes |
| siege | of | cranes |
| congregation | of | crocodiles |
| float | of | crocodiles |
| storytelling | of | crows |
| murder | of | crows |
| herd | of | deer |
| leash | of | deer |
| parcel | of | deer |
| bevy | of | deer (roe deer) |
| kennel | of | dogs |
| pack | of | dogs |
| litter | of | dogs (puppies) |
| pod | of | dolphins |
| drove | of | donkeys |
| herd | of | donkeys |
| pace | of | donkeys |
| trip | of | dotterel |
| bevy | of | doves |
| cote | of | doves |
| dole | of | doves |
| dule | of | doves |
| flight | of | doves |
| piteousness | of | doves |
| flight | of | dragons |
| weyr | of | dragons |
| wing | of | dragons |
| brace | of | ducks |
| flock | of | ducks |
| flush | of | ducks |
| paddling | of | ducks |
| raft | of | ducks |
| team | of | ducks |
More collective nouns for animals (continued ...)
| aerie | of | eagles |
| convocation | of | eagles |
| swarm | of | eels |
| herd | of | elephants |
| memory | of | elephants |
| parade | of | elephants |
| gang | of | elk |
| herd | of | elk |
| mob | of | emus |
| business | of | ferrets |
| cast | of | ferrets |
| fesnyng | of | ferrets |
| charm | of | finches |
| catch | of | fish |
| haul | of | fish |
| run | of | fish |
| school | of | fish |
| shoal | of | fish |
| swarm | of | flies |
| lead | of | foxes |
| leash | of | foxes |
| skulk | of | foxes |
| army | of | frogs |
| colony | of | frogs |
| knot | of | frogs |
| flock | of | geese |
| gaggle | of | geese |
| skein | of | geese (in flight) |
| wedge | of | geese (flying in a 'V') |
| horde | of | gerbils |
| corps | of | giraffes |
| herd | of | giraffes |
| tower | of | giraffes |
| cloud | of | gnats |
| horde | of | gnats |
| swarm | of | gnats |
| herd | of | gnus |
| implausibility | of | gnus |
| drove | of | goats |
| herd | of | goats |
| tribe | of | goats |
| trip | of | goats |
| charm | of | goldfinches |
| glint | of | goldfish |
| band | of | gorillas |
| skein | of | goslings |
| leash | of | greyhounds |
| covey | of | grouse |
| pack | of | grouse |
| colony | of | gulls |
| group | of | guinea pigs |
| horde | of | hamsters |
| drove | of | hares |
| down | of | hares |
| husk | of | hares |
| leash | of | hares |
| trace | of | hares |
| trip | of | hares |
| warren | of | hares |
| aerie | of | hawks |
| cast | of | hawks |
| kettle | of | hawks |
| array | of | hedgehogs |
| prickle | of | hedgehogs |
| brood | of | hens |
| hedge | of | herons |
| sedge | of | herons |
| siege | of | herons |
| shoal | of | herrings |
| crash | of | hippopotami |
| herd | of | hippopotami |
| bloat | of | hippopotami |
| drift | of | hogs |
| parcel | of | hogs |
| passel | of | hogs |
| nest | of | hornets |
| harras | of | horses |
| herd | of | horses |
| stable | of | horses |
| team | of | horses |
| troop | of | horses |
| cry | of | hounds |
| mute | of | hounds |
| pack | of | hounds |
| charm | of | hummingbirds |
| clan | of | hyenas |
| band | of | jays |
| party | of | jays |
| scold | of | jays |
| smack | of | jellyfish |
| herd | of | kangaroos |
| mob | of | kangaroos |
| troop | of | kangaroos |
More collective nouns for animals (continued ...)
| deceit | of | lapwings |
| ascension | of | larks |
| exaltation | of | larks |
| leap | of | leopards |
| pride | of | lions |
| sowse | of | lions |
| troop | of | lions |
| lounge | of | lizards |
| herd | of | llamas |
| plague | of | locusts |
| tidings | of | magpies |
| sord | of | mallards |
| stud | of | mares |
| richness | of | martens |
| horde | of | mice |
| mischief | of | mice |
| nest | of | mice |
| company | of | moles |
| labor | of | moles |
| movement | of | moles |
| cartload | of | monkeys |
| tribe | of | monkeys |
| troop | of | monkeys |
| troup | of | monkeys |
| herd | of | moose |
| barren | of | mules |
| pack | of | mules |
| rake | of | mules |
| span | of | mules |
| watch | of | nightingales |
| bevy | of | otter |
| family | of | otter |
| raft | of | otter |
| romp | of | otter |
| parliament | of | owls |
| drove | of | oxen |
| herd | of | oxen |
| span | of | oxen |
| team | of | oxen |
| yoke | of | oxen (two) |
| bed | of | oysters |
| company | of | parrots |
| covey | of | partridges |
| muster | of | peacocks |
| ostentation | of | peacocks |
| colony | of | penguins |
| crèche | of | penguins |
| huddle | of | penguins |
| parcel | of | penguins |
| rookery | of | penguins |
| nest | of | pheasants |
| nide | of | pheasants (on the ground) |
| nye | of | pheasants (on the ground) |
| bouquet | of | pheasants (when flushed) |
| flight | of | pigeons |
| flock | of | pigeons |
| drove | of | pigs |
| herd | of | pigs |
| litter | of | pigs |
| farrow | of | pigs (piglets) |
| sounder | of | pigs (wild pigs) |
| shoal | of | pilchards |
| congregation | of | plovers |
| wing | of | plovers |
| chine | of | polecats |
| string | of | ponies |
| pod | of | porpoises |
| school | of | porpoises |
| passel | of | possum |
| coterie | of | prairie dogs |
| bevy | of | quail |
| covey | of | quail |
| bury | of | rabbits |
| colony | of | rabbits |
| down | of | rabbits |
| drove | of | rabbits |
| husk | of | rabbits |
| leash | of | rabbits |
| trace | of | rabbits |
| trip | of | rabbits |
| warren | of | rabbits |
| nest | of | rabbits (young) |
| wrack | of | rabbits (young) |
| gaze | of | raccoons |
| nursery | of | raccoons |
| colony | of | rats |
| horde | of | rats |
| mischief | of | rats |
| pack | of | rats |
| plague | of | rats |
| swarm | of | rats |
| rhumba | of | rattlesnakes |
| storytelling | of | ravens |
| unkindness | of | ravens |
| crash | of | rhinocerouses |
| building | of | rooks |
| clamor | of | rooks |
| storytelling | of | rooks |
More collective nouns for animals (continued ...)
| run | of | salmon |
| school | of | salmon |
| shoal | of | salmon |
| bob | of | seals |
| colony | of | seals |
| crash | of | seals |
| harem | of | seals |
| herd | of | seals |
| pod | of | seals |
| rookery | of | seals |
| spring | of | seals |
| team | of | seals |
| school | of | shark |
| shiver | of | shark |
| down | of | sheep |
| drove | of | sheep |
| flock | of | sheep |
| fold | of | sheep |
| hurtle | of | sheep |
| trip | of | sheep |
| bed | of | snakes |
| den | of | snakes |
| nest | of | snakes |
| pit | of | snakes |
| walk | of | snipes |
| wisp | of | snipes |
| host | of | sparrows |
| dray | of | squirrels |
| scurry | of | squirrels |
| murmuration | of | starlings |
| muster | of | storks |
| mustering | of | storks |
| flight | of | swallows |
| bevy | of | swans |
| herd | of | swans |
| wedge | of | swans (flying in a 'V') |
| flock | of | swifts |
| drift | of | swine |
| sounder | of | swine |
| spring | of | teals |
| ambush | of | tigers |
| streak | of | tigers |
| knot | of | toads |
| hover | of | trout |
| flock | of | turkeys |
| brood | of | turkeys (immature) |
| bale | of | turtles |
| generation | of | vipers |
| nest | of | vipers |
| colony | of | vultures |
| mob | of | wallabies |
| herd | of | walruses |
| pod | of | walruses |
| pack | of | weasels |
| sneak | of | weasels |
| gam | of | whales |
| herd | of | whales |
| pod | of | whales |
| school | of | whales |
| plump | of | wildfowl |
| herd | of | wolves |
| pack | of | wolves |
| rout | of | wolves |
| route | of | wolves |
| warren | of | wombats |
| fall | of | woodcocks |
| descent | of | woodpeckers |
| herd | of | yaks |
| herd | of | zebras |
| zeal | of | zebras |
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