herd

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a typically large group of animals of one kind kept together under human control
a herd of cattle
b
: a congregation of gregarious wild animals
herds of antelopes
2
a(1)
: a group of people usually having a common bond
a herd of tourists
(2)
: a large assemblage of like things
herds of cars
b
: the undistinguished masses : crowd
isolate the individual prophets from the herdNorman Cousins
herdlike adjective

herd

2 of 2

verb

herded; herding; herds

transitive verb

1
a
: to gather, lead, or drive as if in a herd (see herd entry 1 sense 1a)
herded the children into the car
b
: to keep or move (animals) together
dogs that are trained to herd sheep
2
: to place in a group
herd us with their kindred foolsJonathan Swift

intransitive verb

1
: to assemble or move in a herd (see herd entry 1)
herding onto the subway
2
: to place oneself in a group : associate
it is desirable that young noblemen should herdSir Walter Scott

Examples of herd in a Sentence

Noun The herd grazed peacefully in the pasture. A herd of shoppers waited anxiously for the store to open. Verb The horses were herded into the corral. We left the hotel and were herded onto a bus. They herded the students into the auditorium. The commuters herded onto the train.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The people worked on different dairy farms in California’s Central Valley and both farms had cattle known to be positive for H5N1 avian influenza. RELATED: With avian flu now in 41 California dairy herds, health experts watch closely Both people had mild symptoms. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024 As of Thursday, officials had reported 55 infected dairy herds in the state since the virus was first reported in a Central Valley herd in late August. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
This has the effect of gradually herding the E coli towards the black hole. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024 Energetic and highly intelligent, border collies are traditionally bred to be herding dogs. Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for herd 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'herd.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English heord; akin to Old High German herta herd, Middle Welsh cordd troop, Lithuanian kerdžius shepherd

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of herd was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near herd

Cite this Entry

“Herd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herd. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

herd

1 of 2 noun
1
: a number of animals of one kind kept or living together
2
: the common people

herd

2 of 2 verb
1
: to assemble or come together into a herd or group
2
: to gather, lead, or drive a herd
herd cattle
herder noun

More from Merriam-Webster on herd

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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