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

One of the most versatile, high-upside wings in 2020, Beauchamp has a bevy of Pac-12 schools on his trail in the rising senior class. — Zach Osterman, azcentral, "MarJon Beauchamp recruiting: ASU, Arizona among Pac-12 schools in on 5-star wing," 15 July 2019 The daylong celebration will feature a bevy of activities, including free art-making opportunities, School & Studio drop-in demos, new exhibitions, Creative Wing Open Studios and music. — Adam Lukach, chicagotribune.com, "Things to do in Chicago this weekend: Taste of Chicago, Phish, V103 Summer Block Party, garden walks," 12 July 2019 Their lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, accuses CHA Fertility of medical malpractice, negligence and a bevy of other charges. — Eric Levenson, CNN, "This couple got a stranger's embryo in an IVF mixup, and someone else gave birth to their baby," 10 July 2019 Youngsters can ride dinosaurs, dig for fossils, get their face painted and enjoy a bevy of bounce houses, water slides, jugglers and a photo booth, said Joe Shipes, chief executive officer of the Leesburg Partnership, sponsor of the event. — orlandosentinel.com, "Lake cities gearing up for a bang-up Fourth of July," 1 July 2019 Soon after its inception, NASA began planning a bevy of ambitious space missions, including funding several solar sail studies. — Amy Thompson, Smithsonian, "LightSail 2 Launches to Space to Soar on the Power of Sunshine," 25 June 2019 Another weekend, another award show, giving us a bevy of looks to choose from for our weekend style round-up. — Tatum Dooley, Teen Vogue, "From Camila Mendes to Lil Nas X, Here Are This Weekend’s Best Looks From Our Favorites Stars," 24 June 2019 Intel, Samsung and TSMC, in turn, rely on a bevy of specialised equipment suppliers to kit out their factories. — The Economist, "The technology industry is rife with bottlenecks," 6 June 2019 And while the switch to outdoor fitness boasts a bevy of benefits, such as improving mental health and increasing workout adherence, many exercise enthusiasts will sustain injuries from not preparing their muscles for new movement patterns. — Ashley B. Greenblatt, https://www.inquirer.com, "4 exercises to prevent summer sports injuries," 4 June 2019

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.