herd
Noun · VerbOpen English WordNet
Noun (3)herds
- a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humansType of animal groupKinds remudaMembers cattle, sheep
- a group of wild mammals of one species that remain together: antelope or elephants or seals or whales or zebraType of animal groupKinds gam
- a crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things“his brilliance raised him above the ruck”“the children resembled a fairy herd”Synonyms: ruckType of multitude, throng
Verb (3)herds, herded, herding
- cause to herd, drive, or crowd together“We herded the children into a spare classroom”Synonyms: crowdMore general move, displaceMore specific overcrowd
- move together, like a herdMore general crowd, crowd together
- keep, move, or drive animals“Who will be herding the cattle when the cowboy dies?”More general keepMore specific wrangle
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Haired. obsolete Geoffrey Chaucer
Origin: OE. herd, heord, AS. heord; akin to OHG. herta, G. herde, Icel. hjörð, Sw. hjord, Dan. hiord, Goth. haírda; cf. Skr. çardha troop, host.
1. A number of beasts assembled together; as, a herd of horses, oxen, cattle, camels, elephants, deer, or swine; a particular stock or family of cattle.
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea.— Asa Gray
☞ Herd is distinguished from flock, as being chiefly applied to the larger animals. A number of cattle, when driven to market, is called a drove.
2. A crowd of low people; a rabble.
But far more numerous was the herd of such Who think too little and who talk too much.— John Dryden
You can never interest the common herd in the abstract question.— Samuel T. Coleridge
Herd's grass Botany, one of several species of grass, highly esteemed for hay. See under Grass.
Origin: OE. hirde, herde, heorde, AS. hirde, hyrde, heorde; akin to G. hirt, hirte, OHG. hirti, Icel. hir…ir, Sw. herde, Dan. hyrde, Goth. haírdeis. See 2d Herd.
One who herds or assembles domestic animals; a herdsman; — much used in composition; as, a shepherd; a goatherd, and the like. Geoffrey Chaucer
Origin: See 2d Herd.
1. To unite or associate in a herd; to feed or run together, or in company; as, sheep herd on many hills.
2. To associate; to ally one's self with, or place one's self among, a group or company.
I'll herd among his friends, and seem One of the number.— Joseph Addison
3. To act as a herdsman or a shepherd. Scottish
To form or put into a herd.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54