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

This year’s edition of San Diego Pride, which takes place through Sunday, is no exception, with the centerpiece of the long-running festival its bevy of musical acts. — Lisa Deaderick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Top weekend events: San Diego Pride, Sun & Sea Festival, Gustavo Romero," 13 July 2018 But after a game the Brazilians were expected to win—and didn’t—their bevy of questions remain unanswered. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "Switzerland Holds Brazil to a 1-1 Draw," 17 June 2018 Your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy LAS VEGAS — With a bevy of punches in the ninth round, Terence Crawford solidified his case as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. — W.g. Ramirez, Houston Chronicle, "Terence Crawford scores TKO over Jeff Horn, wins WBO welterweight title," 10 June 2018 There's a bevy of young pitchers padding their way through the system, too, including Daniel Tillo, Holden Capps and Evan Steele. — Maria Torres, kansascity, "Why the Royals went pitching-heavy on the first day of the 2018 MLB Draft," 5 June 2018 However, there are a bevy of limitations to this doctrine. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Examining Sterling Brown's Legal Options After Milwaukee Arrest Video Release," 23 May 2018 Plus, there is a bevy of fitness programs aim to entice. — Anna Caplan, star-telegram, "Give mom a taste of indulgence at these Texas spas | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 8 May 2018 There's now a bevy of soothing washes, moisturizers, lightweight lotions, and thick body creams on the market that target the symptoms of eczema and aid in both taming flare-ups, as well as keeping the aforementioned issues at bay. — Sarah Kinonen, Allure, "The Best Eczema Products to Relieve Itch," 10 Apr. 2018 However, the memos indicate that the bulk of the information flow at the meeting went the other way, with the AP journalists providing the FBI with a bevy of facts [it] uncovered during its inquiries into Manafort's work and finances. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Trump’s confusion about Bush’s slogan illustrates his narrow view of the presidency," 9 July 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.