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What makes up a bevy?
There’s no need to quail when confronted with a word of uncertain origins; some mysteries are simply destined to remain as such. Etymologists have a bevy of theories about the roots of bevy, for example, but little definitive evidence—and that’s okay! What we do know is that bevy emerged out of Middle English as the collective noun for a number of birds and mammals that were commonly hunted, including pheasants, partridges, roe deer, larks, and especially quail. Bevy is still used in this way today, not only for wild game but for gulls, hens, etc. But bevies are now most often composed of a great many people and things, as in “a bevy of reporters” or “a bevy of menu options.”
Examples of bevy in a Sentence
Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 21 June 2025
Its location at York Avenue and 70th Street is down the block from Weill Cornell Medical Center, which attracts a bevy of hospital employees.
—Gary Stern, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Queen Camilla joined a bevy of attendees at the Women’s Prize for Fiction and Nonfiction event on Wednesday in London.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 12 June 2025
Tonys host Cynthia Erivo 'holds space' with Oprah Winfrey in opening number
At the top of the telecast, Cynthia Erivo playfully shot down a bevy of suggestions about how to add pizzazz to her opening number.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bevy
Cite this Entry
“Bevy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bevy. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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