horde

noun \ ˈhȯrd \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: horde in a Sentence

Definition of horde

1 a : a political subdivision of central Asian nomads

b : a people or tribe of nomadic life

2 : a large unorganized group of individuals : a teeming crowd or throng

hordes of peasants

See horde defined for English-language learners

See horde defined for kids

Examples of horde in a Sentence

A horde of tourists entered the museum.
Hordes of reporters were shouting questions.

Recent Examples of horde from the Web

Then, in 1993, a space marine blasted his way through hordes of invading demons, blazing a new path for games in the process.

— the strong museum of play, Ars Technica, "The original Doom, one of 64 Objects that shaped video game history," 2 June 2018
Farid Benyettou, a former influential crusader who has now publicly renounced extremism, fears Europe is not braced to cope with the hordes of believers roaming free.

— Fox News, "Europe faces a wave of freed terror convicts. Is it ready?," 11 May 2018
While archaeologists believe the horde was deliberately buried in the sixth century B.C., most of the jewelry was likely made two centuries earlier.

— National Geographic, "Origin of Mysterious 2,700-Year-Old Gold Treasure Revealed," 10 Apr. 2018
President Donald Trump has characterized the migrant caravan as hordes of immigrants that threaten America.

— daniel gonzález, azcentral, "'In God's hands': Why members of the migrant caravan left home for an uncertain future," 8 Apr. 2018
The Chicago Zine Fest has been bringing hordes of self-publishing enthusiasts together for eight years, and its ninth edition arrives this weekend.

— leor galil, Chicago Reader, "The Chicago Zine Fest celebrates publishing by the people," 16 May 2018
A day after Justify raced to a 2½-length victory in the slop as the 5-2 favorite, trainer Bob Baffert and his star horse drew a horde of visitors to his barn at Churchill Downs.

— CBS News, ""He knows he's a stud": Can Derby winner Justify take second leg of the Triple Crown?," 7 May 2018
A day after Justify raced to a 2½-length victory in the slop as the 5-2 favorite, trainer Bob Baffert and his star horse drew a horde of visitors to his barn at Churchill Downs.

— beth harris, Houston Chronicle, "Kentucky Derby winner Justify may face fresh horses in Preakness," 7 May 2018
But Greenman and other Facebook users who consented to that technology in recent months remain plagued by a horde of identity thieves.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Facebook's crackdown on fake accounts isn't working for everyone," 5 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'horde.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of horde

Middle French, German, & Polish; Middle French & German, from Polish horda, from Ukrainian dialect gorda, alteration of Ukrainian orda, from Old Russian, from Turkic orda, ordu khan's residence

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1555

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year