Definition of BEVY

What Makes Up a bevy?

What do you call a group of crows? Or swine? Or leopards? Well-educated members of the medieval gentry seem to have been expected to know the answers: a murder of crows, a sounder of swine, and a leap of leopards. They would also have been expected to know that bevy referred specifically to a group of deer, quail, larks, or young ladies. Scholars aren't certain why bevy was chosen for those groups (though they have theories). What is known for sure is that bevy first appeared in the 15th century and was used as a highly specific collective for many years. Today, however, bevies can include anything from football players to toaster ovens.

Examples of bevy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And, of course, the government is out in full force, represented by an impressive bevy of ministers: exterior, planning, communications and information technology, social solidarity, and antiquities, among others. — Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, "Can Egypt Convince the World That It Is Starting Over?," 19 Mar. 2019 The real estate transaction is finally under going a tech disruption thanks to a bevy of startups that leverage data and technology to relieve pain points in the transaction. — Jeff Andrews, Curbed, "New home flipping platform sells to the first bidder, not the highest," 19 Sep. 2018 California’s new regulations for commercial deployment of robo-cars might subject Audi to a bevy of requirements, from customer education, including for those who buy the car used, to data collection in case of a collision. — Alex Davies, WIRED, "Americans Can't Have Audi's Super Capable Self-Driving System," 15 May 2018 Istanbul's bevy of chic, luxury properties and their Soho House are reason alone to spend nights here, along with the ever-evolving food scene, with Chef's Table-famous Musa Dağdeviren's Çiya Kebap and Çiya Sofrasi in the mix. — Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "The 19 Best Places to Travel in 2019," 10 Jan. 2019 In the aftermath of the crippling New York Times op-ed penned by an anonymous senior White House official, a bevy of top administration officials have rushed to deny any involvement. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, "New York Times op-ed sparks denials from Trump staff: A list of officials claiming they're not the author," 7 Sep. 2018 Water may be the best way to keep yourself hydrated, but a bevy of new, healthy beverages insist on making the process a whole lot more fun. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "The 13 Best Healthy Drinks You Can Get at the Supermarket," 20 Aug. 2018 But the least interesting aspect of the whole experience was the orchestra, which facelessly supported a bevy of guest artists with no discernible connection to this ensemble. — David Mermelstein, WSJ, "New York’s New Maestro," 1 Oct. 2018 Artist Judy Messoline built a UFO-spotting campground and watchtower to support the bevy of alien activity reported on her property. — Stephanie Granada, Sunset, "10 Stellar Places for Stargazing," 22 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bevy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.