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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
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Constant connectivity due to the bevy of digital devices at one’s fingertips continues to blur the lines between individuals’ professional and personal lives.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
The 42-year-old Swanson overmatched Landwehr with a bevy of punches to the head before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight with 54 seconds left in the opening round.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
What’s the bevy of resources in school or in the community if my child is in need — therapists, local support groups?
—Deborah Vankin, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bevy
Cite this Entry
“Bevy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bevy. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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