herd

¹herd

noun \ˈhərd\

Definition of HERD

1

a : a number of animals of one kind kept together under human control b : a congregation of gregarious wild animals

2

a (1) : a group of people usually having a common bond <a herd of tourists> (2) : a large assemblage of like things b : the undistinguished masses : crowd <isolate the individual prophets from the herd — Norman Cousins>

— herd·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective

Examples of HERD

1. The herd grazed peacefully in the pasture.
2. A herd of shoppers waited anxiously for the store to open.

Origin of HERD

Middle English, from Old English heord; akin to Old High German herta herd, Middle Welsh cordd troop, Lithuanian kerdžius shepherd

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to HERD

Synonyms: drove, flock

Antonyms: A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, elect, elite, fat, flower, pick, pink, pride, upper crust

Related Words: colony, covey, gaggle, pack, plump [chiefly dialect], pod, school, swarm

Near Antonyms: gentility, gentlefolk (also gentlefolks), gentry, haute monde, nobility, patriciate, peerage, quality, royalty, society

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Animal Husbandry Terms

apiary, bantam, calico, girth, hogwash, mast, rut

Rhymes with HERD

bird, Bird, burred, curd, furred, gird, Heard, nerd, spurred, surd, third, urd, word