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What makes up a bevy?
There’s no need to quail when confronted with a word of uncertain origins; some mysteries are simply destined to remain as such. Etymologists have a bevy of theories about the roots of bevy, for example, but little definitive evidence—and that’s okay! What we do know is that bevy emerged out of Middle English as the collective noun for a number of birds and mammals that were commonly hunted, including pheasants, partridges, roe deer, larks, and especially quail. Bevy is still used in this way today, not only for wild game but for gulls, hens, etc. But bevies are now most often composed of a great many people and things, as in “a bevy of reporters” or “a bevy of menu options.”
Examples of bevy in a Sentence
Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2025
Marshall is among the bevy of Republicans who put out health care proposals in the past week; his approach would extend the subsidies for a year and then transition to a Health Savings Account system.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Joining Lawrence and Hutcherson are a bevy of up-and-coming stars.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Dec. 2025
To that point, any federal college sports law would likely face a bevy of legal challenges.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bevy
Cite this Entry
“Bevy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bevy. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
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