180 Collective Nouns, Definition and Example Sentences

180 Collective Nouns, Definition and Example Sentences

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns are used to describe a group of people, animals, plants, or anything else. In some languages, it may be easy to learn them, as collective nouns only take a singular or plural verb. But in English, the situation is slightly different. In American English, the singular verb is used after collective nouns if. In British English, the verb after these collective nouns can be singular or plural. It takes a lot of repetition to make no mistake about it. Collective nouns:

• Although they are singular in form, they are semantically plural.
• Collective nouns are meaningfully plural, although they do not take the plural suffixes.
• Collective nouns are names that identify communities formed by entities of the same type.
• Collective nouns are nouns written as singular nouns, but with meaning such as plural nouns.
• Collective nouns are names that introduce more than one entity.
• Collective nouns resemble singular nouns in form and plural nouns in meaning.

Note: Species names (tree, child, human) refer to those that belong to that species individually, while collective nouns (Forest, Company, board) refer to all those that belong to that species as a group.

Singular or Plural?

We should pay particular attention to verb conjugations when using collective nouns. Even native English speakers learn verb conjugations over time and with plenty of practice. For those who, like many people, learn English later, their native language usage habits can cause mistakes. Below you can find some general rules:

If the collective nouns refer to the entire group as a whole, then the verb is used in the singular. For example, a group of musicians playing instruments in the same band, or a class of students doing the same job.

• The class finished their exam at 9 p.m.

On the other hand, if we want to talk about individuals doing different things, we should use a plural verb. In the following example, all students work individually by writing a different article.

• The class was writing articles in the school with their teachers.

Some exceptions do not comply with this rule. For example, the following types of collective nouns always take the plural verb: Police, cattle, youth, and people.

• The police were very fast.

Uncountable nouns as they are known are used with the singular verb: Hair, accommodation, information, advice, luggage / luggage, rubbish, and macaroni.

• The macaroni was very good.
• Melissa’s hair is really shiny and beautiful.

After some collective nouns come the preposition” of ” and the name of the people, animals, plants, or objects they describe. What is unique here in English is the variety and sometimes surprising nature of these names. Some nouns can be used for people, as well as for animals, plants, or objects. For example:

• A band of men
• A band of teachers Bench
• A bench of students.
• A bench of players,
• A bench of doctors
• A company of lawyers
• A company of health
• A gang of soldiers
• A gang of children
• A team of footballers
• A colony of cats
• A colony of birds
• A colony of chicken
• A flock of horses

Custom collective nouns as mentioned earlier, some collective nouns are very exceptional and creative. In English, there are two main reasons for this; both because of the influence of French, English noblemen have the opportunity to create some terms, and because they emphasize the prominent characteristics or appearance of the defined group. In some examples, this has produced very effective results. Now let’s look at some collective nouns that have special uses. Let’s try to guess where these sayings come from.

• A pride of tigers
• A flamboyance of swans
• A shiver of whales
• A bed of fish
• An eloquence of engineers

Note: Collective nouns are used to express multiple entities. Indicates that the word to which it is added is not one, but more than one. It is also preferred in the sense of exaggeration and respect. In some cases, it can be used in the sense of similarity. Collective nouns reports multiple people and family names referred to by the same name. Finally, collective nouns establish dilemmas in some cases.

These examples make up only a fraction of the collective nouns in English. If you like English, you must read, repeat, and practice our online lessons.

Here are +180 Collective Noun List;

a plague of locusts
a pride of lions
a shoal of fish
zeal of zebras
hover of trout
rafter of turkeys
turn of turtles
pledge of wasps
bunch/knob of waterfowl
troop of baboons
a skein of wild geese in flight
a string of horses
a stud of horses
a swarm of bees

colony of badgers
sloth of bears
erst of bees
flight of birds
chatter of budgerigars
a train of camels
a tribe of goats
a troop of lions
a zoo of wild animals
brood of chickens
chattering of choughs
rag/rake of colts
covert of coots
a school of whales
herd of cranes

Batch of Bread
Bits of Information
Bowl of Flour
A ream of paper
A reel of film
A set of clubs
A string of pearls
A wad of notes
Agenda of Tasks
Anthology of Poems
Anthology of Prose
A hand of bananas
A harvest of wheat
A heap of rubbish
A hedge of bushes
Atlas of Maps
Bag of Game
Bank of Batteries

host/surration/quarrel of sparrows
cluster/clutter of spiders
drey of squirrels
chattering/crowd of starlings
flight of swallows
drift/herd/sounder of swine
spring of teal
mutation of thrush
ambush of tigers
knab/knot of toads
a band of musicians
a bevy of ladies
a board of directors
a body of men
a bunch of crocks
a caravan of gypsies
a choir of singers
a class of students
a company of actors
a congregation of worshippers
a troupe of artistes
a crew of sailors
a crowd of people
a dynasty of kings
a gang of prisoners
a group of dancers
a horde of savages
An album of photographs
An anthology of poems
An archipelago of islands
A bale of cotton
Heap of Trash
Hill of Beans
Holiness of Donuts
Mess of Grits
A basket of fruit
A batch of bread
A battery of guns
Skein of silk
Skirl of bagpipes
Slew ofh
Spawn of Umbrellas
Sprinkle of Hoses
Stand of Arms
Staple of Zines
Swirl of Paisleys
Troop of Mushrooms
A block of flats
A book of notes
A bouquet of flowers
A bowl of rice
Battery of Artillery
Belt of Asteroids
A bunch of keys
A bundle of sticks
A catalogue of prices
A chest of drawers
A cluster of coconuts
Fleet of Vehicles
Flight of Aeroplanes
Flight of Stairs
Garland of Sonnets
Pack of Cards
Pocket of Oranges
Pod of Peas
Punnet of Strawberries
Purse of Winnings
Quire of Newspapers
A cloud of dust
A clump of bushes
A collection of coins
A comb of bananas
A galaxy of stars
A group of islands
A fleet of ships
Flight of Steps
Galaxy of Starlets
A forest of trees
A hail of bullets
A library of books
An outfit of clothes
herd of curlew

herd/mob of deer
obstinancy of buffalo
bellowing of bullfinches
drove of bullocks
flock of camels
prettying of doves
paddling of ducks
safe of ducks (on land)
fling of dunlins
convocation of eagles
ferrets
charm of finches
shoal/run of fish
a plague of locusts
a pride of lions
a school of whales
a shoal of fish
band of gorillas
cloud of grasshoppers
brace/leash/pack of greyhounds
brood/pack/covey of grouse
an army of ants
a bevy of quail
a broad of chickens
a catch of fish
a cloud of insects
cast of hawks
array of hedgehogs
crowd of ibis
flight/swarm of insects
brood/fluther/smuck of jellyfish
herd/mob/troop of kangaroos
kindle/litter of kittens
deceit/desert of lapwings
bevy/exaltation of larks
leap/lepe of leopards
pride/sawt/troop of lions
tiding/tittering of magpies
sord/suit of mallard
stud of mares
richesse of martens
nest of mice
company/labour/mumble of moles
troop of monkeys
cartload/pack/span/barren of mules
puddling/watch of nightingales
flock of ostrich
bevy/family of otters
parliament/stare of owls
yoke of oxen
pandemonium of parrots
covey of partridges
muster of peacocks
swarm of eels
herd/parade of elephants
herd/gang of elk
cast of falcons
busyness/cast/fesynes of
rookery of penguins
kit of pigeons
farrow of piglets
litter of pigs
bevy/covey/drift of quail
bury/colony/nest/warren of rabbits
nursery of raccoons
string of racehorses
colony of rats
unkindness of ravens
crash of rhinoceros
bevy of roe deer
parliament of rooks
hill of ruffs
family of sardines
pod/harem/herd/rookery of seals
flock/herd/trip/mob of sheep
dopping of sheldrake
den/pit/nest of snakes
army of caterpillars
chowder/clowder/cluster/glaring of cats
herd/drove of cattle
cowardice/pack/kennel of dogs
pod/school of dolphins
trip of dotterel
walk/wisp/wish of snipe