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

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 Just one look at the attendees is proof enough of the Metrograph’s appeal; with a bevy of press-averse directors, actors, musicians, and artists in attendance—all happily trudged through the evening's pouring rain weather to get there. — Keaton Bell, Vogue, "The Coolest New Yorkers Came Out to Celebrate the Metrograph Theater's Third Birthday," 25 Mar. 2019 What could go wrong with a secret government plot and an unpredictable bevy of mutants? — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "The 2019 Sci-Fi TV Guide," 16 Jan. 2019 Get to know a bevy of the world’s most famous actresses—Eiza González, Léa Seydoux, Angelababy, Golshifteh Farahani, Elizabeth Debicki, Adesua Etomi, Hera Hilmar, Deepika Padukone, and Scarlett Johansson—in a good old-fashioned game show format. — Vogue, "Hollywood, Nollywood, Bollywood Squared," 14 Mar. 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.