flock

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
: a group of animals (such as birds or sheep) assembled or herded together
2
: a group under the guidance of a leader
especially : a church congregation
3
: a large number
a flock of tourists

flock

2 of 4

verb (1)

flocked; flocking; flocks

intransitive verb

: to gather or move in a flock
they flocked to the beach

flock

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
: a tuft of wool or cotton fiber
2
: woolen or cotton refuse used for stuffing furniture and mattresses
3
: very short or pulverized fiber used especially to form a velvety pattern on cloth or paper or a protective covering on metal
4
: floc

flock

4 of 4

verb (2)

flocked; flocking; flocks

transitive verb

1
: to fill with flock
2
: to decorate with flock

Examples of flock in a Sentence

Noun (1) a flock of obstreperous reporters at the press conference a flock of sheep crossing the road Verb (1) vacationers flocked to the towns along the shore in order to escape the August heat
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Hollywood and music’s biggest stars flock to Norton’s famous red sofa, with the show returning on Friday with a line-up that included Taylor Swift and Cillian Murphy. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025 Those concerns became reality when Reggie began attacking the resident flock. Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
While Nashville has grown by leaps and bounds, so have its smaller surrounding cities, as people flock to the suburbs, eager to enjoy small-town charm while staying close to the conveniences of a major metro. Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Oct. 2025 Normally, such birds don’t flock to DelCo. Grace Byron, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flock

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English flocc crowd, band; akin to Old Norse flokkr crowd, band

Noun (2)

Middle English flok, from Anglo-French, from Latin floccus

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flock was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flock. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

flock

1 of 2 noun
1
: a group of animals (as birds or sheep) assembled or herded together
2
: a group someone keeps watch over
3
: a large number
a flock of tourists

flock

2 of 2 verb
: to gather or move in a crowd
they flocked to the beach

More from Merriam-Webster on flock

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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