bevy

noun \ ˈbe-vē \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of bevy

plural bevies

1 : a large group or collection

a bevy of girls

2 : a group of animals and especially quail

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bevy was our Word of the Day on 09/08/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of bevy from the Web

Sportiello was a spectator for most of the second half as the Thunderbolts took total control, generating a bevy of offensive chances.

— steve millar, Daily Southtown, "Local roundup: Andrew edges West Aurora in girls soccer at PepsiCo Showdown," 8 Apr. 2018
California lilacs and fuchsias attract a bevy of bees and hummingbirds.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "On this tour, neighbors go native and take it easy | The Sacramento Bee," 6 Apr. 2018
Local and state officials have amassed a bevy of incentives to attract the technology and retail behemoth.

— jennifer barrios, Washington Post, "Montgomery County eyes zoning changes to attract companies like Amazon," 6 Apr. 2018
Forerunner Ventures Partner Eurie Kim and Union Square Ventures Partner Rebecca Kaden both have backed a bevy of direct-to-consumer retail startups.

— cat zakrzewski, WSJ, "ShopShops Aims at Chinese Consumers Via Live Streaming," 5 Apr. 2018
Alabama and Auburn made the cut, along with Notre Dame, Oregon, Oklahoma and a bevy of oth3r SEC schools.

— josh bean, AL.com, "4-star Thompson OL Amari Kight has Bama and Auburn as finalists," 1 Apr. 2018
The postponement was welcomed by both teams, who burned through a bevy of relievers on Opening Day on Friday.

— anthony fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers-Pittsburgh Pirates postponed; doubleheader on Sunday," 31 Mar. 2018
The Wildcats began this Final Four run by knocking down a bevy of 3-pointers.

— sean meagher, OregonLive.com, "Final Four scores: Villanova Wildcats vs Kansas Jayhawks live updates," 30 Mar. 2018
Meek's sentencing sparked outrage within the hip-hop community, and caused a bevy of his peers including JAY-Z, Rick Ross, Nipsey Hu$$le, players from the Philadelphia 76ers, Al Sharpton and more to speak out against the justice system.

— kathy williams, Billboard, "Meek Mill's Mother's Plea to Lady Justice: 'You've Taken His Innocence and Abused His Pride'," 26 Mar. 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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of bevy

Middle English bevey

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

Other Zoology Terms

altruism, integument

BEVY Defined for English Language Learners

bevy

noun

Definition of bevy for English Language Learners

: a large group of people or things

Learn More about bevy

See words that rhyme with bevy Spanish Central: Translation of bevy Nglish: Translation of bevy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bevy for Arabic speakers

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bevy

Definition of bevy

bevy was our Word of the Day on 09/08/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of bevy from the Web

What Makes Up a bevy?

Origin and Etymology of bevy

Other Zoology Terms

BEVY Defined for English Language Learners

bevy

Definition of bevy for English Language Learners

Learn More about bevy

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Definition of bevy

bevy was our Word of the Day on 09/08/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of bevy from the Web

What Makes Up a bevy?

Origin and Etymology of bevy

Other Zoology Terms

BEVY Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of bevy for English Language Learners

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Seen and Heard

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