COLLECTIVE NOUNS
Most
collective nouns are poetic in manner and generally refer to animals:
those in the wild; those that are raised and those that are hunted. As
herbivores generally move and feed together, the term herd
applies to antelopes, buffaloes, deer, elephants and wild horses. Cattle
are also referred to as a herd but, curiously, domesticated horses are not. The term can also cover curlews, porpoise
and swans.
The
term congregation applies to worshippers, alligators, crocodiles and birds. Birds,
however, are more frequently seen in terms of flocks and so are sheep,
goats and camels. When it comes to buck it is not surprising that they
become a clash of buck and rhinoceros become a crash of
rhinoceros.
There
is no hard and fast rule to be applied when referring to animals in a
group. On the other hand there is no loss in learning some of the
collective nouns that have been in use for quite a while:-
|
ant
|
colony
|
|
antelope
|
herd
|
|
ass
|
pace or drove
|
|
bear
|
sleuth
|
|
bee
|
swarm
|
|
bird
|
flight
|
|
buffalo
|
herd
|
|
camel
|
train
|
|
cat
|
cluster
|
|
caterpillar
|
army
|
|
chicken
|
clutch or flock
|
|
crocodile
|
bask
|
|
dolphin
|
school
|
|
dog
|
pack
|
|
duck
|
brace
|
|
elephant
|
herd
|
|
fish
|
shoal
|
|
frog
|
knot
|
|
giraffe
|
herd
|
|
goat
|
tribe
|
|
goose
|
gaggle
|
|
gorilla
|
band
|
|
hen
|
brood
|
|
impala
|
couple
|
|
leopard
|
leap
|
|
lion
|
pride
|
|
monkey
|
troop
|
|
mule
|
pack
|
|
owl
|
parliament
|
|
oxen
|
yoke
|
|
partridge
|
covey
|
|
peacock
|
muster
|
|
pheasant
|
brood
|
|
pig
|
drove
|
|
pigeon
|
flock
|
|
quail
|
bevy
|
|
rabbit
|
colony
|
|
rhinoceros
|
crash
|
|
seal
|
pod
|
|
sparrow
|
host
|
|
squirrel
|
dray
|
|
stork
|
mustering
|
|
swallow
|
gulp
|
|
swan
|
bevy
|
|
turkey
|
raft
|
|
turtle
|
bale
|
|
whale
|
pod
|
|
wolf
|
rout or pack
|
