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

Artists require a bevy of instruments and technology to create and mix songs, but at the center of it all is the digital audio workstation (DAW). — Popular Mechanics, "Learn How to Produce Pro-Level Music for Under $30," 31 Jan. 2019 Life as a horsewoman or man is never easy—just ask any member of the royal family or a bevy of American heiresses—but the tasks involved with exercising and training can get especially tricky when winter weather comes into play. — Leah Melby Clinton, Town & Country, "Behold: The Most Stylish Equestrian Winter Work Suit," 8 Jan. 2019 Christian Bale plays Cheney, often utterly disappearing into the role, leading a cast that boasts a bevy of other big actors, most notably Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "The 9 Oscar contenders coming out in December," 3 Dec. 2018 The $189 Mega Sg, shipping next April, promises full FPGA-driven, HDMI-powered support for a bevy of early Sega cartridges. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Sega’s Genesis (and more) get an HDMI upgrade with the Mega Sg," 16 Oct. 2018 Opens September 28, 2018 Sterling Ruby: Ceramics at the Museum of Arts and Design New York, New York Prepare for a bevy of vases, ashtrays, and more in this exhibition focused on the accomplished contemporary artist. — Madeleine Luckel, Vogue, "12 of the Best Design Exhibitions to See This Fall," 18 Sep. 2018 From former law clerks to U.S. solicitors general, a bevy of venerable legal minds are prepared to testify in support of Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court justice nominee. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, "Kavanaugh Supreme Court hearing witnesses include former law clerks, school shooting survivor: A full list," 7 Sep. 2018 He is widely believed to be a contender for the bevy of prominent American orchestras now looking for their next conductor, including in Detroit, San Francisco and Atlanta. — Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, "To Conduct Its Parks Concerts, the Philharmonic Taps a Rising Star," 8 June 2018 The stars behind many of this year’s nominees are also up for a bevy of awards tonight. — Mike Miller, PEOPLE.com, "The Handmaid's Tale Wins Golden Globe for Best Television Series, Drama," 7 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.