A pride of lions, a bunch of keys, a murder of crows. Learn the collective nouns for animals, people and things, and how they work with verbs.
A pride of lions, a bunch of keys, a team of players, a murder of crows. A collective noun names a group of people, animals or things as a single unit. Some are very common (team, class, family) and some are wonderfully unusual (an exaltation of larks, a parliament of owls). Knowing them improves your vocabulary, your writing and your marks in examinations.
This guide explains what collective nouns are, how they work with verbs, and where the traditional animal terms come from. Its main part gives 142 collective nouns in three tables: 70 for animals, 33 for people and 39 for things. It also covers verb agreement, common mistakes, key points, ten practice questions and a teacher activity.
It builds on Parts of Speech and Singular and Plural Nouns, and connects with Tenses & Verb Forms, Idioms in English and Collocations in English. Spelling in this guide follows British English.
A collective noun is a singular noun that refers to a group of individuals. Team is one word, but it names many players. In grammar, collective nouns are a kind of common noun.
| Kind of group | Examples |
|---|---|
| People | team, class, committee, jury, crowd, family |
| Animals | a pack of wolves, a flock of sheep, a pod of whales |
| Things | a bunch of keys, a fleet of ships, a pile of books |
| Fixed traditional terms | an exaltation of larks, a murder of crows |
A collective noun can take a singular or a plural verb, depending on your meaning.
| Meaning | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The group acts as one unit | singular (is, has) | The team is ready for the final. |
| The members act separately | plural (are, have) | The team are arguing about their positions. |
| Always plural in meaning | plural | The police are investigating. The cattle are in the field. |
British English accepts both. American English usually prefers the singular. Be consistent within one sentence: The committee has made its decision (not its… their).
Many fanciful terms for groups of animals are very old. A hunting book printed in 1486, known as the Book of St Albans, recorded lists of such terms, and some of them (such as a pride of lions and an exaltation of larks) have survived to the present day. Many are a matter of tradition and humour, and several of the more unusual ones were popularised much later by writers of word books. For everyday use, the simple terms (herd, flock, pack, swarm, pod) are the safest.
| Animal | Collective noun | Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| ants | colony | a colony of ants |
| apes | shrewdness | a shrewdness of apes |
| badgers | cete | a cete of badgers |
| bats | colony | a colony of bats |
| bears | sloth | a sloth of bears |
| bees | swarm | a swarm of bees |
| buffalo | herd | a herd of buffalo |
| butterflies | kaleidoscope | a kaleidoscope of butterflies |
| camels | caravan | a caravan of camels |
| cats | clowder | a clowder of cats |
| cattle | herd | a herd of cattle |
| chickens | flock | a flock of chickens |
| crows | murder | a murder of crows |
| deer | herd | a herd of deer |
| dogs | pack | a pack of dogs |
| dolphins | pod | a pod of dolphins |
| eagles | convocation | a convocation of eagles |
| elephants | herd | a herd of elephants |
| ferrets | business | a business of ferrets |
| finches | charm | a charm of finches |
| fish | shoal or school | a shoal of fish |
| flamingos | flamboyance | a flamboyance of flamingos |
| foxes | skulk | a skulk of foxes |
| frogs | army | an army of frogs |
| geese (on the ground) | gaggle | a gaggle of geese |
| geese (in flight) | skein | a skein of geese |
| giraffes | tower | a tower of giraffes |
| goats | tribe or trip | a tribe of goats |
| gorillas | band | a band of gorillas |
| hawks | cast | a cast of hawks |
| hens | brood | a brood of hens |
| herons | siege | a siege of herons |
| hippopotamuses | bloat | a bloat of hippopotamuses |
| horses | herd or team | a herd of horses |
| hyenas | cackle | a cackle of hyenas |
| jellyfish | smack | a smack of jellyfish |
| kangaroos | mob | a mob of kangaroos |
| larks | exaltation | an exaltation of larks |
| leopards | leap | a leap of leopards |
| lions | pride | a pride of lions |
| locusts | plague | a plague of locusts |
| monkeys | troop | a troop of monkeys |
| nightingales | watch | a watch of nightingales |
| oxen | yoke | a yoke of oxen |
| owls | parliament | a parliament of owls |
| oysters | bed | a bed of oysters |
| parrots | pandemonium | a pandemonium of parrots |
| peacocks | muster | a muster of peacocks |
| penguins | colony or waddle | a colony of penguins |
| pigs | drove | a drove of pigs |
| quail | bevy | a bevy of quail |
| rabbits | warren | a warren of rabbits |
| rats | mischief | a mischief of rats |
| ravens | unkindness | an unkindness of ravens |
| rhinoceroses | crash | a crash of rhinoceroses |
| seals | pod or colony | a pod of seals |
| sharks | shiver | a shiver of sharks |
| sheep | flock | a flock of sheep |
| snakes | nest | a nest of snakes |
| sparrows | host | a host of sparrows |
| starlings | murmuration | a murmuration of starlings |
| swans | bevy or wedge (in flight) | a bevy of swans |
| tigers | streak | a streak of tigers |
| turkeys | rafter | a rafter of turkeys |
| turtles | bale | a bale of turtles |
| vultures | wake | a wake of vultures |
| whales | pod | a pod of whales |
| wolves | pack | a pack of wolves |
| woodpeckers | descent | a descent of woodpeckers |
| zebras | dazzle | a dazzle of zebras |
| Collective noun | Used for | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| team | players in a game | The team trains every morning. |
| crew | sailors, aircraft staff or workers | The crew prepared the ship for sea. |
| cast | actors in a play or film | The cast took a bow. |
| choir | singers | The school choir sang at the ceremony. |
| orchestra | musicians | The orchestra tuned its instruments. |
| band | musicians or a group with a shared aim | The band played all night. |
| staff | employees or teachers | The staff held a meeting. |
| class | students | The class visited the museum. |
| audience | listeners or viewers | The audience applauded. |
| crowd | people gathered together | A crowd gathered outside the stadium. |
| mob | an angry crowd | The mob blocked the road. |
| gang | a group of friends or criminals | A gang of boys played cricket. |
| committee | people chosen to decide something | The committee approved the plan. |
| jury | citizens who decide a verdict | The jury reached a decision. |
| panel | experts who judge or discuss | A panel of judges selected the winner. |
| board | directors of a company | The board met on Friday. |
| council | people who govern | The council passed a new rule. |
| congregation | worshippers | The congregation sang a hymn. |
| army | soldiers | The army marched into the town. |
| squad | a small team | The football squad flew to Dubai. |
| platoon | soldiers in a small unit | A platoon guarded the bridge. |
| regiment | soldiers in a large unit | The regiment returned home. |
| family | parents and children | The family went on holiday. |
| tribe | people of the same ancestry | The tribe held a festival. |
| clan | a large family group | The clan gathered for the wedding. |
| delegation | representatives | A delegation visited the minister. |
| troupe | travelling performers | A troupe of dancers toured the country. |
| company | actors or soldiers | A company of actors visited the school. |
| posse | police or helpers | A posse of officers searched the area. |
| galaxy | famous people | A galaxy of stars attended the film show. |
| bench | magistrates | A bench of magistrates heard the case. |
| generation | people born at about the same time | The younger generation uses computers daily. |
| faculty | teaching staff of a university | The faculty approved the syllabus. |
| Collective noun | Used for | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| bunch | keys, flowers, grapes or bananas | He lost a bunch of keys. |
| bouquet | flowers arranged together | She received a bouquet of roses. |
| set | tools, stamps or books that belong together | A set of tools lay on the shelf. |
| pack | playing cards, or a wrapped parcel | He shuffled a pack of cards. |
| deck | playing cards | A deck of cards fell on the floor. |
| pile | books, clothes or papers lying on top of each other | A pile of books stood on the table. |
| stack | papers, hay or plates placed on top of each other | A stack of papers was on her desk. |
| collection | coins, stamps or art | He owns a collection of coins. |
| fleet | ships, cars or aircraft | A fleet of ships left the harbour. |
| range | mountains | The Himalayas are a mountain range. |
| chain | islands or mountains | A chain of islands lies off the coast. |
| cluster | stars, grapes or houses close together | A cluster of stars shone overhead. |
| constellation | stars forming a pattern | The Great Bear is a constellation of stars. |
| grove | trees growing together | A grove of mango trees stood by the river. |
| forest | a large number of trees | A forest of tall pines covered the hill. |
| orchard | fruit trees | An orchard of apple trees lies behind the house. |
| row | houses or seats in a line | A row of houses faced the park. |
| terrace | houses joined together | A terrace of old houses stood by the canal. |
| block | flats or buildings | A block of flats was built nearby. |
| suite | rooms or furniture | They booked a suite of rooms. |
| flight | stairs | She climbed a flight of stairs. |
| wad | banknotes or paper | He pulled out a wad of notes. |
| bundle | sticks or clothes tied together | A bundle of sticks lay by the fire. |
| sheaf | papers or wheat tied together | He carried a sheaf of papers. |
| heap | rubbish or sand | A heap of rubbish stood in the corner. |
| quiver | arrows | The archer carried a quiver of arrows. |
| ream | paper (about 500 sheets) | The office ordered a ream of paper. |
| library | books | The town has a library of rare books. |
| anthology | poems or stories | She gave me an anthology of poems. |
| catalogue | goods or books listed together | The shop sent a catalogue of goods. |
| batch | loaves, biscuits or papers made or handled together | A batch of biscuits is in the oven. |
| basket | fruit or bread | A basket of fruit stood on the table. |
| string | pearls or beads | She wore a string of pearls. |
| pair | two shoes, socks or gloves | He bought a pair of shoes. |
| clutch | eggs | A clutch of eggs lay in the nest. |
| hand | bananas | He bought a hand of bananas. |
| fanfare | trumpets | A fanfare of trumpets welcomed the king. |
| coven | witches | The story tells of a coven of witches. |
| pantheon | gods | The Greeks had a pantheon of gods. |
Some expressions look like collective nouns but show a part or unit of something that cannot be counted. These are called partitives.
| Collective noun (a group) | Partitive (a unit or part) |
|---|---|
| a flock of sheep | a piece of advice |
| a bunch of keys | a loaf of bread |
| a team of players | a glass of water |
| a fleet of ships | an item of news |
See Collocations in English for many partitives such as a flash of lightning.
| Mistake | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| a herd of lions | a pride of lions | Each animal has its own traditional term. |
| a flock of cows | a herd of cows | Flock is used for sheep and birds. |
| a school of whales | a pod of whales | School is used for fish. |
| a pack of sheep | a flock of sheep | Pack is used for wolves and dogs. |
| a gaggle of lions | a pride of lions | A gaggle is a group of geese. |
| The staffs are meeting. | The staff are meeting. | Staff as a group takes no -s (staffs means separate groups). |
| The jury have made its decision. | The jury has made its decision. | Do not mix singular and plural. |
| an army of ants flying | a swarm of ants flying | Use the term that suits the situation. |
Activity: give students a list of ten animals on one set of cards and ten collective nouns on another and ask them to match the pairs, then to write one sentence for each. Older students can invent a humorous collective noun for a group of modern things (for example, a scroll of phones) and explain why it fits.
Please note: this guide uses British spelling. Some animals have more than one accepted collective noun, and the fanciful terms vary between sources, so only the most commonly cited forms are shown.
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