You know which animals move in packs, schools, and herds, but what about a wake, a business, or a flamboyance?
Whileclanis the much more accepted term, there's something very appropriate about cackle. And though their laughs and gigglessoundentertaining, they're really how spotted hyenasexpressanger, frustration, and warnings to stay away.
2. A SHREWDNESS OF APES
This term has around since the late 1400s—at the time,shrewdnessreferred to the mischievous nature of apes, though knowing now how intelligent they are, the term still works.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, many aquatic animals, such as ducks or puffins, also formrafts.
4. A MURDER OF CROWS
In the 15th century, crows were considered to be omens of death and messengers from the devil or evil powers.
Scurries are fairly unusual since squirrels are not pack animals by nature, so the more commonly useddrayrefers to a nest consisting of a mother squirrel and her young.
6. A WAKE OF VULTURES
For vultures, a wake specifically refers to a group feeding on a carcass. The less morbid termskettleandcommitteeare reserved for groups that are flying and resting in trees, respectively.
Just one barracuda is intimidating, but abatteryof them? Time to retreat!
8. A MUSTER OF STORKS
A muster can also be used for groups of peacocks/peafowl (though anostentationof peacocks is much more illustrative).
Consideringwalkis one of the things a snail cannot do, this seems like an unusual choice. Perhaps the lesser-known (but still accepted)escargatorywould be more accurate.
10. A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS
It's unclear when this phrase was invented, with examples dating to the late 19th century. But its origin is likely an allusion to Chaucer's poem "The Parliament of Fowls," alongside the use ofparliamentas a collective noun for rooks.
Since tigers tend to be solitary creatures, a grouping of them would certainly feel like an ambush.
12. A COTERIE OF PRAIRIE DOGS
While full towns of prairie dogs are called colonies, the close-knit, individual family units are called coteries.
An ancient and medieval belief that thrushes shed and regrew their legs each decade led to the collective term of a mutation of thrush.
14. A MEMORY OF ELEPHANTS
Sure, a herd of elephants is the more common collective, but amemoryis also a recognized term. We're not sure why a pack of pachyderms didn't catch on though …
This term likely came about because mother foxes raise their young while burrowed underground.
16. A SCOLD OF JAYS
Jays also hang inbandsandparties.
While they can also group as a flock or a bevy, acoveyof quail sounds much more poetic.
18. A HOVER OF TROUT
Since trout tend to swim in groups near the bottom of a lake or river, they likely look like they're hovering over the bed of the waterway. Alternately, it may come from an old term for an overhanging rock where fish—like trout—can hide.
Supposedly, a group of turtles who are cozy in their shells would look like a field of round or squarish hay bales.
20. A RHUMBA OF RATTLESNAKES
Because, perhaps under circumstances that didn't involve a large number of snakes, that many rattles in one place would make you want to dance.
If just one hummingbird is charming, can you imagine how charming a whole group of them would be?
22. A BUSINESS OF FERRETS
The Book of Saint Albansgave ferrets the collective termbusyness("besynes"), which today has become "business."
They can collectively be called a crash of rhinos as well.
24. A PRICKLE OF PORCUPINES
Could this term be any more apt?
Who knew?
26. AN UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS
Ravens aren't exactly friendly fowl. They will often gang up on their prey or animals that enter their space. And because of the impression that they are an ominous presence, an unkindness of ravens can also be called aconspiracy.
Specifically, when you have a group of females with a dominant male, it's aharem. If it's just some breeding seals hanging out, it's arookery.
28. A MOB OF KANGAROOS
And just like in human mobs, there's usually a leader (a "boomer," or adult male) who is only in power for a short while before being challenged and defeated by a rival boomer.
Gamis a possible derivative of the word "gammon," meaning talk intended to deceive. Considering scientists have onlyjust recentlybegun thinking they could decipher whale calls, we'd say the gam's gammon is pretty effective.
30. A POD OF PELICANS
They can also be called a squadron.
A group of snakes is generally a pit, nest, or den, but they're generally thought of as solitary creatures, so collective nouns for specific types of snakes are more fanciful. A "generation of vipers" likely originates from the King James translation of the Bible, in which Matthew 23:33 reads "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
32. A DESCENT OF WOODPECKERS
Woodpeckers are far more known for their wood-pecking style of foraging for food, but another method some have is to quickly dive-bomb anthills and termite mounds.
A salmon run isn't just the mass migration of salmon up the river—a run of salmon is also the name of a grouping of the fish.
34. A KALEIDOSCOPE OF BUTTERFLIES
Groups of butterflies can also be calledflutters.
Wombats have large brains and are incredibly playful, which is often viewed as a sign of intelligence.
36. A ROUT OF WOLVES
Whilepackis definitely the better-known term today, a very old term for wolves isrout, a word that ultimately came from the Middle French for company.
The termshiverapplies a bit more to nervous humans when they see a large group of sharks, which is perhaps why the term has caught on in recent years.
38. A SCOURGE OF MOSQUITOES
They're more commonly called a swarm, but a scourge sounds just as accurate.
This isn't a reference to any detective work bears may or may not do—it's derived from the Old English word forsloth, meaning slow (and sloth itself is sometimes used as a collective noun as well).
40. A GAZE OF RACCOONS
The males are called boars and the females sows.
When herons pick a new lake or river to rest at, the fish there would certainly feel under siege.
42. A FLAMBOYANCE OF FLAMINGOS
Kudos to the creator of this perfect term.
Adestructionrefers specifically to a group of wild or feral cats. A group of domesticated cats is aclowder.
44. A FEVER OF STINGRAYS
At the very least, swimming with a fever of stingrays would surely cause your blood pressure to rise.
Askeinis used specifically when geese (or other wild birds) are flying, while the alliterativegaggleis the term for grounded or domestic geese.
46. A BUNCH OF WORMS
Not terribly creative, but when in doubt, just say "a bunch" of whatever.
An exaltation of larks also dates back to the 15th centuryBook of Saint Albans(which, because of its heraldry section, also happened to be the first book in England to be printed in color).
48. A FAMILY OF SARDINES
There are more than a dozen fish who can be labeled "sardine" in the supermarket. So in this case,familymeans a large grouping, rather than parents and children.
Not just a game—it's a real term. Monkeys can also congregate as a carload, troop, or tribe.
50. A DAZZLE OF ZEBRAS
They're more commonly called a herd, but a zeal or dazzle of zebras has such a nice ring to it.
FAQs
50 Collective Nouns for Groups of Animals? ›
Maybe you know that a group of lions is called a pride, but other animal groups have even weirder names, like a streak of tigers, and a sloth of bears. Scroll down to see eight whimsical words for groups of animals!
What is a group of 100 lions called? ›Maybe you know that a group of lions is called a pride, but other animal groups have even weirder names, like a streak of tigers, and a sloth of bears. Scroll down to see eight whimsical words for groups of animals!
What are 50 collective nouns? ›- Collective noun for bees – Swarm.
- Collective noun for fish – Shoal or School.
- Collective noun for sheep – Herd.
- Collective noun for ships – Fleet.
- Collective noun for birds – Flock.
- Collective noun for lions – Pride.
- Collective noun for wolves – Pack.
- Collective noun for ants – Colony.
A group of elephants is called a 'herd' – a herd of elephants.
What is a pack of tigers called? ›A group of tigers is called an. ambush or a streak , Tigers are in. the cat family and their young ones. are known as cubs or whelps.
What are 60 examples of collective nouns? ›Collective Nouns For Things List in English Convoy of Lorries Convoy of Trucks Culture of Bacteria Dicker of Hides Embarrassment of Riches Fall of Snow Festival of Balloons Fitting of Sails Fleet of Boats Fleet of Cars Quiver of Arrows Range of Mountains Roll of Coins Rope of Onions Rope of Pearls Rouleau of Money ...
What is the collective noun used for bees? ›| Animal | Collective Noun | In It's Written Context |
|---|---|---|
| Bees | hive | a hive of bees |
| Bees | nest | a nest of bees |
| Bees | rabble | a rabble of bees |
| Bees | stand | a stand of bees |
A collective noun is a noun that refers to some sort of group or collective—of people, animals, things, etc. Collective nouns are normally not treated as plural, even though they refer to a group of something. Collective nouns include common nouns like “group” and proper nouns like “Google” or “The Rolling Stones.”
What is a collective noun everyone? ›Some collective nouns that are always singular or plural
Everyone, everybody, no one, and nobody are always singular. Everyone are entitled to an opinion. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. No one want to hear John's crazy ideas for waste recycling.
Collective nouns are names for a collection or a number of people or things. Words like group, herd, and array are collective noun examples.
What are the 7 groups of animals? ›
The scientific classification system is divided into seven major groups, (1) kingdom, (2) phylum or division, (3) class, (4) order, (5) family, (6) genus, and (7) species.
What are the 10 groups of animals? ›- A herd of elephants.
- A flock of birds.
- A school of fish.
- A pack of wolves.
- A pride of lions.
- A colony of ants.
- A swarm of bees.
- A troop of monkeys.
A group of skunks is called a surfeit.
What is a group of 100 jellyfish? ›A group of jellyfish is called a SMACK!
What is a group of wolves called? ›• Wolves: a pack.
What is a group of giraffes? ›Herds of Giraffes
“Herd” is a well-known collective noun for a variety of animals. A group of giraffes can also be described in this way as a herd.
What is a group of cheetahs called? Cheetahs are the only wild cats, other than lions, that live in groups. These groups of cheetahs are known as “coalitions” and are usually made up of a group of brothers. Female cheetahs that have cubs are solitary animals.
What is a group of pandas called? ›A group of pandas is also called a cupboard of pandas or a bamboo of pandas, according to wildexplained.com. Celebrate March's National Panda Day:Here are 15 adorable pandas photos to brighten your day!
What is a group of porcupines called? ›And then we have squirrels, which are very fittingly called a 'scurry'! Another quite wonderful collective noun is the one used to describe a group of porcupines – they're called a 'prickle'.
What is the collective noun for coconuts? ›a cluster of coconuts 2. a cloud of dust 3. a clump of bushes 4. a collection of coins 5.
What is the collective noun for pepper? ›
| Vegetables | Collective Noun | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| peas | pod | A pod of peas |
| peppers | bushel | A bushel of peppers |
| potatoes | bag | A bag of potatoes |
| turnip | bushel | A bushel of turnip |
Army is the collective noun for soldiers.
What is a number of eagles collective nouns? ›The two most common terms or collective nouns for a group of eagles is 'a soar of eagles' and 'a convocation of eagles'.
What is the collective noun for cotton? ›a bale of cotton. ans1- A bale -collective noun , and cotton -material noun.
What is a group of wasps called? ›What Is a Group of Wasps Called? A group of wasps is called a swarm.
What is the collective noun used for fish? ›The most common collective nouns for a group of fish in general are school and shoal. Both the words have evolved from the same common Dutch root 'schole' meaning a troop or crowd.
What is the collective noun of sugar? ›You might say 'a bunch of sugar' or simply 'some sugar. ' You could also be more specific and say 'a bag of sugar. ' The reason there is not one collective noun for 'sugar' is that 'sugar' is a non-count noun, which means it automatically refers to a collective amount rather than a single object.
What is the collective noun for chocolate? ›The collective noun of chocolates is a box or assortment of chocolates.
What is a collective noun for moles? ›A group of moles is called a labour. Collective Noun. Usage. labour.
What is the collective noun of flowers? ›The sentence given refers to a collection of flowers and therefore the correct option is A) bouquet.
What is the collective noun of sailors? ›
The collective noun of sailors is a crew of sailors or deck of sailors.
What are 5 groups of animals? ›Animals can be divided into five distinct groups: mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
Is there a list of all animals? › What are the 8 animal groups? ›
- Mammals. Mammals are vertebrates within the class Mammalia which have a neocortex (i.e., higher brain functions), hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands. ...
- Birds. ...
- Reptiles. ...
- Amphibians. ...
- Fishes. ...
- Insects. ...
- Crustaceans. ...
- Arachnids.
During the breeding season when frogs are easy to spot, they can form huge groups. This is probably the reason that a group of frogs is called either: A Colony. or an Army.
What are the 11 common groups of animals? ›Classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, vertebrates, invertebrates, those having live births and those which lay eggs) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors.
What is a group of armadillos? ›A Group of Armadillos is called a Roll. Now You Know. Your Animal Groups!
What is a group of foxes? ›A skulk of foxes
A group of foxes is called a skulk. The word skulk comes from a Scandinavian word, and generally means to wait, lurk or move stealthily.
A prickle of hedgehogs (and porcupines)
A group of hedgehogs is called a prickle.
A group of jellyfish is called a SMACK! Here are more collective nouns for ocean animals you might not know...
What is a group of coyotes called? ›
Behavior: Coyotes are social animals that live in groups called packs.
What is a group of frogs? ›During the breeding season when frogs are easy to spot, they can form huge groups. This is probably the reason that a group of frogs is called either: A Colony. or an Army.
What is a group of hippos called? ›Why a group of hippos is called a bloat.
What is a group of octopus called? ›While there isn't a formal answer to this question, the consensus is that a group of octopuses is called a consortium. Notably, octopuses are solitary animals, so they aren't often found in groups or collectives in the wild.
What are a group of alligators called? ›One fun fact is that although alligators and crocodiles are very similar, a group of alligators is called a “congregation.” Let's find out why crocodiles live in groups.
What is a group of bulls called? ›A group of cattle is a herd, drove, yoke, team, or fold. Cattle is the collective noun for cows and bulls. A group of cows is called a kine, and a group of cattle is called a herd.
What is a group of toads? ›Although toads do not usually gather together, when they do, they are known as a knot of toads. Knot (noun): a group of toads.
What are a group of sharks called? ›For a group of sharks, there is no one conventional name to refer to them as one. Nevertheless, shiver, frenzy, herd, gam, shoal, grind, shoal, or college are used to describe sharks collectively.
What is a group of otters? ›A group of resting otters is called a raft.
Researchers have seen concentrations of over 1,000 otters floating together. To keep from drifting away from each other, sea otters will wrap themselves up in seaweed, forming something that resembles a raft. A raft of otters resting in a group.