Collective Nouns

Collective NounsCollective nouns are those nouns that denote a group of people, animals, objects, concepts or ideas

as a single entity

These collective nouns are commonly used

under the category of people.

1. A class of students.

2. An army of soldiers.

3. A choir of singers.

4. A crew of sailors.

5. A band of musicians.

6. A bunch of crooks.

7. A crowd of people/spectators.

8. A gang of thieves.

9. A group of dancers.

10. A team of players.

11. A troupe of artists/dancers.

12. A pack of thieves.

13. A staff of employees.

14. A regiment of soldiers.

15. A tribe of natives.

16. An audience of listeners.

17. A panel of experts.

18. A gang of laborers.

19. A flock of tourists.

20. A board of directors.

The following collective nouns are used for animals.

1. A catch of fish.2. An army of ants.3. A flight of birds.4. A flock of birds.5. A haul of fish.6. A flock of sheep.7. A herd of

deer/cattle/elephants/goats/buffaloes.

8. A hive of bees.9. A litter of cubs.

10. A host of sparrows.11. A team of horses.12. A troop of lions.13. A zoo of wild animals.14. A pack of wolves.15. A litter of puppies/kittens.16. A swarm of bees/ants/rats/flies.17. A team of horses/ducks/oxen.18. A murder of crows.19. A kennel of dogs.20. A pack of hounds.

The following collective nouns are used for things.

1. A group of islands.2. A galaxy of stars.3. A wad of notes.4. A forest of trees.5. A stack of wood.6. A fleet of ships.7. A string of pearls.8. An album of

stamps/autographs/photographs.9. A hedge of bushes.10. A library of books.11. A basket of fruit.12. A bowl of rice.13. A pack of cards.14. A pair of shoes.15. A bouquet of flowers.16. A bunch of keys.17. A chest of drawers.18. A pack of lies.19. A range of mountains.20. A cloud of dust.

OTHER COLLECTIVE NOUNS

album of photos

armada of ships

armory of aardvarks

army of ants

ascension of larks

atlas of maps

bag of tricks

band of angels

band of coyotes

band of gorillas

band of jays

band of men

band of musicians

band of pirates

bank of circuits

bank of elevators

bank of monitors

barrel of monkeys

batch of bread

batch of cookies

batch of cupcakes

battery of tests

bed of oysters

bench of magistrates

bevy of quails

blessing of unicorns

block of flats

board of directors

book of matches

bouquet of flowers

brace of ducks

bridge of admirals

brigade of soldiers

broadside of (artillery)

shells

brood of chickens

brood of hens

buffoonery of

orangutans

bunch of bananas

bunch of grapes

bushel of corn

business of ferrets

cache of jewels

cache of nuts (for

squirrels)

caravan of camels

cash or weapons

cavalcade of horsemen

chain of islands

chain of mountains

charm of finches

chest of drawers

class of students

cloud of bats

cloud of gnats

cloud of grasshoppers

cluster of grapse

cluster of stars

clutch of chicks

clutch of eggs

clutter of starlings

collection of stamps

college of electors

colony of ants

colony of bats

colony of beavers

colony of penguins

communion of saints

company of actors

company of owls

company of soldiers

congregation of

crocodiles

congregation of people

congregation of

worshipers

congress of baboons

conspiracy of ravens

constellation of stars

constituency of voters

convocation of eagles

corps of cadets

coven of witches

covey of quail

crew of sailors

crowd of onlookers

crowd of people

cruft of hackers

(according to The

Hacker's Dictionary)

culture of bacteria

deck of cards

den of thieves

division of soldiers

drove of cattle

exaltation of larks

faculty of professors

faculty of teachers

fistful of dollars

fleet of boats

fleet of planes

fleet of ships

flight of stairs

float of crocodiles

flock of birds

flock of sheep

flock of tourists

flotilla of ships

fluther of jellyfish

forest of trees

gaggle of geese

galaxy of stars

gang of hoodlums

grove of trees

hand of bananas

heap of trash

herd of buffalo

herd of cattle

herd of cows

herd of elephants

herd of horses

herd of whales

herd of wrens

hill of beans

hive of bees

host of angels

host of sparrows

labour of moles

litter of kittens

litter of pigs

litter of puppies

mass of Catholics

mess of grits

mess of pottage

mob of kangaroos

murder of crows

nest of bowls

nest of machine guns

nest of mice

nest of vipers

nest of wasps

network of computers

orchard of trees

pack of dogs

pack of hounds

pack of wolves

pad of paper

panel of experts

parliament of owls

party of jays

platoon of soldiers

pod of dolphins

pod of seals

pod of whales

pride of lions

quiver of arrows

range of mountains

round of drinks

school of fish

set dishes

set of golf clubs

sheaf of wheat

shiver of sharks

shoal of bass

shoal of fish

shock of corn

slate of candidates

sloth of bears

smack of jellyfish

squad of cheerleaders

squad of soldiers

squad players

staff of employees

stand of flamingo

stand of trees

string of beads

string of pearls

suite of rooms

swarm of bees

team of athletes

team of horses

team of oxen

team of players

tribe of natives

troop of baboons

troop of kangaroo

troop of monkeys

troop of scouts

troop of soldiers

troupe of acrobats

troupe of actors

troupe of dancers

troupe of musicians

troupe of performers

undulation of hills

wad of bills

wad of money

wad of papers

wardrobe of clothes

wash of emotions

yoke of oxen

MORE COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Standard terms for particular groups are listed first in each group and shown in bold.

Subject Collective Noun

A

alligators congregation


antelope herd

ants army


ants bike

ants colony

ants nest

ants swarm

apes shrewdness

apes troop

asses herd

asses coffle

asses drove

asses pace or passe

auks colony

auks flock

auks raft

avocets colony


B

baboons troop

badgers cete

badgers colony

barbels shoal

bats cloud

bats colony

bears sleuth or sloth

beavers colony

beavers family

bees swarm

bees colony

bees erst


bees grist

birds flock

birds dissimulation

birds fleet

birds flight

birds parcel

birds pod

birds volary

bishops bench

bison herd

bitterns sedge or sege

bitterns siege

boars (male pigs) herd


boars (male pigs) singular

boars (wild

boars)sounder

boys blush

buffalo herd

buffalo gang

bullfinches bellowing

bullocks drove

bustards flock

butlers draught

butterflies flight

butterflies rabble

buzzards wake

C


camels caravan

camels flock

camels train

capercaillie tok

capons mews

caribou herd

cats clowder

cats cluster or clutter

cats glaring

cats pounce

cats (wild cats) destruction

caterpillars army

cattle herd

cattle drove


chickens brood

chickens clutch

chickens peep

choughs chattering or clattering

cobblers drunkenship or drunkship

colts rag

colts rake

cormorants gulp

cooks hastiness

coots covert

coyotes pack

cranes herd

cranes sedge or sege


crocodiles bask

crocodiles float

crows murder

curlews herd

D

deer herd

deer bunch

deer mob

deer parcel

deer rangale

dogs pack

dogfish troop

dolphins pod


dolphins school

dolphins team

dotterel trip

doves dole or dule

doves flight

doves piteousness

ducks flock

ducks badling

ducks brace

ducks bunch

ducks paddling

ducks plump

ducks raft


ducks skein

ducks sord or sore

ducks string

ducks team

ducks waddling

dunlins fling

E

eagles convocation

eels bed

eels swarm

elephants herd

elk gang


F

ferrets business

ferrets busyness

ferrets fesnyng

finches charm or chirm

fish school

fish shoal

flamingoes stand

flies business

flies cloud

flies swarm

foresters stalk

foxes leash

foxes skulk


frogs army

G

geese flock

geese gaggle

geese plump

geese skein

geese team

geese wedge

giraffes herd

giraffes corps

giraffes tower

gnats cloud

gnats horde


gnats rabble

gnats swarm

goats flock

goats herd

goats tribe

goats trip or trippe

goosanders dopping

gorillas band

gorillas whoop

goshawks flight

grasshoppers cloud

grasshoppers swarm

grouse covey

grouse pack

guineafowl rasp


H

hares down

hares drove

hares flick

hares husk

hawks boil

hawks cast

hawks kettle

hawks lease

harts herd

hedgehogs array

herons sedge or sege

herons siege

hermits observance

hippopotamuses bloat

hogs parcel

horses team

horses band

horses haras or harrase


horses herd

horses stable

horses string

horses stud

hounds pack

hounds cry

hounds hunt

hounds meet

hounds mute

hounds stable

hyenas cackle

I

ibex herd

ibises colony

iguanas mess

insects flight

insects horde

insects plague

insects rabble


insects swarm

J

jackdaws train

jays band

jays party

jays scold

jellyfish fluther

jellyfish smack

K

kangaroos mob

kangaroos troop

L

lapwings deceit or desert

larks bevy

larks exaltation

leopards leap or lepe

lions pride

lions sawt

M


mackerel shoal

magpies charm

magpies congregation

magpies gulp

magpies murder

magpies tiding

magpies tittering

mallard brace

mallard flush

mallard puddling

mallard sord

mallard suit or sute

mares stud

martens richesse or richness

mice nest

mice mischief

mice trip

minnows shoal

moles company


moles labor or labour

monkeys barrel

monkeys cartload

monkeys tribe

monkeys troop

monkeys wilderness

moorhens plump

moose herd

mosquitoes scourge

mudhens fleet

mules barren

mules pack

mules rake

mules span

N

nightingales watch

nuns superfluity

O

owls parliament


oxen drove

oxen team

oxen yoke

P

parrots company

parrots pandemonium

partridges covey

peacocks muster

peacocks ostentation

peacocks pride

pelicans pod

pheasants bouquet

pheasants head

pheasants nest

pheasants nide

pheasants nye

pigs drift

pigs drove

pipers poverty


pigeons kit

plovers congregation

plovers stand

plovers wing

Q

quail bevy

quail covey

quail drift

R

raccoons gaze

ravens unkindness

rhinoceroses crash

rooks building

rooks parliament

S

salmon bind

salmon draught

salmon run

sandpipers fling


seals herd

seals pod

seals rookery

sheep flock

sheep down

sheep drift

sheep drove

sheep herd

sheep hurtle

sheep meinie

sheep mob

sheep parcel

sheep trip

sheldrake dopping

snails escargatoire

snails rout

snails walk

snakes bed

snakes den


snakes knot

snakes nest

snakes pit

snipe walk

snipe whisp or wisp

sparrows host

sparrows meinie

sparrows tribe

spiders cluster or clutter

squirrels colony

squirrels dray

squirrels scurry

starlings chattering

starlings clattering

starlings cloud

starlings congregation

starlings murmuration

stoats pack

stoats trip


storks flight

storks mustering

storks phalanx

swallows flight

swallows gulp

swans bank

swans bevy

swans drift

swans eyrar

swans flight

swans game

swans herd

swans lamentation

swans sownder

swans team

swans wedge

swans whiting

swifts flock

swifts scream


swine doylt

swine drift

swine trip

T

teal spring

tigers ambush

tigers streak

toads knot

toads nest

trout hover

turkeys gang

turkeys rafter

turtles bale

turtles dole

turtles nest

turtle doves dole or dule

turtle doves pitying

U

V

vipers nest

W

walruses herd

walruses pod

waterfowl bunch

waterfowl knob

waterfowl raft

weasels colony

weasels pack

whales gam

whales herd

whales mob

whales pod

wigeons company

wigeons trip

wildfowl bunch

wildfowl knob

wildfowl plump

wildfowl trip

wolves pack

wolves rout or route

woodcocks fall

woodpeckers descent

wrens herd

X

Y

Z

zebras herd

zebras cohort

zebras zeal

Collective nouns are endless and these are just a list of those used more often. As you continue to work on improving your English, you will stumble across many more. Be sure to add them to your list and use them as frequently as you can.

SPECIAL NOUNS

Abstract nouns are sometimes referred to as special nouns. Abstract nouns are words for things that can't be experienced by any of the five senses; they can't be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or touched. Abstract nouns are things that are known, understood, believed, or felt emotionally. Examples are:

attitude

belief

charm

danger

emotion

fear

generosity

happiness

ignorance

joy

Gender Nouns

The feminine can be formed:

1. By adding "ss" to the masculine (sometimes with other slight changes):

MASCULINE FEMININE actor actress

Baron Baroness Count Countess

Duke Duchess Emperor Empress giant giantess heir heiress host hostess lion lioness manager manageress

MASCULINE FEMININE

master mistress murderer murderess priest priestess Prince Princess poet poetess shepherd shepherdess steward stewardess tiger tigress waiter waitress

2. By use of different words:

MASCULINE FEMININE bachelor spinster boy girl brother sister bull cow cock hen dog ***** drake duck father mother fox vixen friar nun gander goose gentleman lady horse mare

MASCULINE FEMININE husband wife King Queen lad lass lord lady lover mistress man woman monk nun nephew niece sir lady, madam son daughter tutor governess uncle aunt wizard witch

3. By prefixing or suffixing a word:

PERSON MASCULINE FEMININE boy-friend girl-friend grandfather grandmother great grandfather great grandmother

MASCULINE FEMININEgrandson granddaughter great grandson great granddaughter father-in-law mother-in-lawMASCULINE FEMINIE brother-in-law sister-in-law

son-in-law daughter-in-law landlord landlady man-friend woman-friend manservant maidservantMASCULINE FEMININE male-cousin female-cousin step-father step-mother step-son step-daughter Godfather Godmother Godson Goddaughter

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Collective Nouns