COLLECTIVE NOUNS

BIRDS (alternatives in brackets) A colony of auks (flock, raft) A fleet of mudhens A colony of avocets A watch of nightingales (match, pray) A flock of birds (dissimulation, fleet, flight, A pride of ostriches (flock) parcel, pod, volary, ) A parliament of owls (stare) A sedge of bitterns (siege) A fling of oxbirds A chain of bobolinks A company of parrots (flock, pandemonium, A bellowing of bullfinches psittacosis) A flock of bustards A covey of partridges (bevy, bew, clutch, A wake of buzzards warren) A tok of capercaillies A muster of peacocks (ostentation, pride) A muse of capons A pod of pelicans (scoop) A brood of chickens (cletch, clutch, peep) A colony of penguins (parcel, rookery) A chattering of choughs (clattering) A cadge of peregrines A covert of coots ( commotion, cover, fleet, A nye of pheasants (bouquet, head, nide, flock, pod, rasp, swarm) warren, ) A flight of cormorants (gulp) A flight of pigeons (flock, kit, passel, ) A sedge of cranes (herd, sedge, siege) A knob of pintails [small number] A murder of crows ( hover, muster, parcel) A congregation of plovers (band, flight, leash, A head of curlews (herd) stand, wing) A trip of dotterels A rush of pochards (flight, knob[small A dole of doves ( dule, flight, piteousness, number]) pitying, prettying) A run of poultry A flush of ducks (badelynge, brace, bunch, A covey of ptarmigans dopping, flock, paddling, plump, raft, safe, A bevy of quails (covey, drift) skein, sord, string, team) An unkindness of ravens (aerie, conspiracy) A flight of dunbirds (rush) A crowd of redwings A fling of dunlins A parliament of rooks (building, clamour, A convocation of eagles (aerie) congregation, shoal, wing) A cast of falcons A hill of ruffs A charm of finches (chirm, trembling, A fling of sandpipers trimming) A cloud of seafowls A stand of flamingos A squabble of seagulls A gaggle of geese (flock, plump, skein, team, A dopping of sheldrakes (doading) wedge) A walk of snipes (wisp) A charm of goldfinches (chattering, drum, A host of sparrows (meinie, quarrel, tribe, troubling) ubiquity) A dopping of goosanders A murmuration of starlings (chattering, cloud, A flight of goshawks congregation, clutter) A covey of grouse (brace, brood, flight, pack) A mustering of storks (flight, phalanx) A bazaar of guillemots A flight of swallows (gulp) A colony of gulls A herd of swans (bank, bevy, drift, eyrar, A mews of hawks (aerie, cast, kettle, mew, game, herd, lamentation, sownder, squadron, moulting, screw, stream) team, wedge, whiteness, whiting) A brood of hens A flock of swifts A sedge of herons (flight, hedge, rookery, A spring of teals (bunch, coil, knob, raft) siege) A mutation of thrushes A charm of hummingbirds (chattering, drum, A flock of turkeys (dole, dule, raffle, raft, troubling) rafter, posse) A colony of ibises A pitying of turtledoves A band of jays (party, scold) A colony of vultures (committee, wake) A desert of lapwings (deceit) A plump of waterfowls (bunch, knob, raft) A parcel of linnets A company of widgeons (bunch, coil, flight, An exaltation of larks (ascension, bevy, flight) knob, trip) A congregation of magpies (charm, flock, A trip of wildfowls (bunch, knob, lute, gulp, murder, tiding, tittering, tribe, ) plump,scry, skein, sord, sute) A sord of mallards (flush, puddling, sute) A fall of woodcocks (covey, flight, plump)

A plump of moorhens

A descent of woodpeckers A herd of wrens (flock)

MAMMALS (alternatives in brackets) A cluster of antelopes (herd, tribe) A husk of jackrabbits A shrewdness of apes (troop) A mob of kangaroos (troop) A pace of asses (drove, coffle, herd) A kindle of kittens (litter) A flange of baboons (congress, troop) A fall of lambs A cete of badgers (colony) A leap of leopards (lepe) A cloud of bats (colony) A kindle of leverets A sloth of bears (sleuth) A pride of lions (flock, sault, sawt, sowse, A colony of beavers (family, lodge) troop) A herd of bisons (gang) A herd of llamas A sute of bloodhounds A stud of mares A herd of boars (singular) A richness of martens (richesse) A sounder of (wild) boars [12+] A mischief of mice (horde, nest, trip) A herd of bucks (leash) A labour of moles (company, movement) A gang of buffalos (herd, obstinacy) A band of mongooses (pack) A drove of bullocks A troop of monkeys (cartload, mission, tribe, A flock of camels (caravan, herd, train) wilderness) A herd of caribous A herd of moose A clowder of cats (glaring, cluster, clutter) A barren of mules (pack, rake, span) A destruction of (wild) cats (dout, dowt) A family of otters (bevy, raft, romp) A herd of cattle (drift, drove, mob) A team of oxen (drove, herd, meinie, span, A herd of chamois yoke) A coalition of cheetahs A pomp of pekingese A colony of chinchillas A drove of pigs (drift, flock, herd) A rake of colts (rack, rag) A doylt of (tame) pigs A bury of conies (game) A sounder of (wild) pigs A flink of cows [12+] A farrow of piglets (litter) A pack of coyotes (band, rout) An aurora of polar bears (pack) A litter of cubs A chine of polecats A cowardice of curs A string of ponies (herd) A herd of deers (bunch, leash, mob, parcel, A prickle of porcupines rangale) A school of porpoises (herd, pod) A pack of dogs (kennel) A coterie of prairie dogs (town) A pod of dolphins (flock, school, team) A litter of pups A herd of donkeys (drove) A colony of rabbits (bury, drove, flick, kindle, A herd of elands leash, nest, trace, warren, wrack) A herd of elephants (parade) A field of racehorses (string) A gang of elks (herd) A nursery of raccoons (gaze) A business of ferrets (cast, fesnying) A colony of rats (horde, mischief, swarm) A skulk of foxes (earth, lead, leash, troop) A crash of rhinoceroses (herd, stubbornness) A brace of geldings A bevy of roe deers A horde of gerbils A colony of seals (harem, herd, pod, rookery, A journey of giraffes (corps, group, herd, spring) tower) A flock of sheep (down, drift, drove, fold, A herd of gnus (implausibility) herd, meinie, mob, parcel, trip) A trip of goats (flock, herd, trip, tribe) A surfeit of skunks A band of gorillas (whoop) A dray of squirrels (colony) A leash of greyhounds A pack of stoats (trip) A group of guinea pigs A drove of swine (herd) A horde of hamsters A doylt of (tame) swine (drift, trip) A drove of hares (down, flick, herd, husk, A sounder of (wild) swine [12+] kindle, leash, trace, trip) An ambush of tigers (streak) A herd of harts A blessing of unicorns A herd of hartebeests A colony of voles A array of hedgehogs (prickle) A huddle of walruses (herd, ugly) A parcel of hinds A mob of wallabyies

A bloat of hippopotami (crash, herd, pod, school, thunder) A drift of hogs (drove, parcel) A stable of horses (drove, harras, herd, remuda, string, stud, team) A pack of hounds (cry, hunt, kennel, leash, meet, mute, stable, sute) A clan of hyenas A herd of ibexes A couple of impalas

A sneak of weasels (gang, pack) A grind of bottle-nosed whales A school of whales (float, gam, herd, mob, pod, run, shoal, troup) A destruction of wildcats (dout) A herd of wildebeests A pack of wolves (herd, rout) A mob of wombats A herd of yaks A cohort of zebras (herd, zeal)

INVERTEBRATES (alternatives in brackets) A culture of bacteria A clew of worms A stuck of jellyfish (fluther, smack, smuth) INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS A colony of ants (army, bike, swarm) A swarm of bees (bike, cast, cluster, drift, erst, game, grist, hive, rabble, stand) A bike of (wild) bees A flight of butterflies (kaleidoscope, rabble, swarm) An army of caterpillars An intrusion of cockroaches A swarm of flies (business, cloud, grist, hatch) A cloud of gnats (horde, rabble, swarm) A cloud of grasshoppers (cluster, swarm) (alternatives in brackets) A bike of hornets (nest, swarm) A flight of insects (horde, plague, rabble, swarm) A flock of lice (colony, infestation) A plague of locusts (cloud, swarm) A scourge of mosquitoes (swarm) A clutter of spiders (cluster) A colony of termites (swarm) A colony of wasps (bike, nest)

A bed of clams A bed of cockles A bed of mussels

MOLLUSCS (alternatives in brackets) A bed of oysters (hive) An escargatoire of snails (rout, walk)

FISH (alternatives in brackets) A company of angel fish A pack of perch A company of archer fish A shoal of pilchards (school) A battery of barracudas A cluster of porcupine fish A shoal of barbels A party of rainbow fish A fleet of bass (shoal) A shoal of roach A grind of blackfish A bind of salmons(draught, leap, run, school, A school of butterfly fish shoal) A school of cod A family of sardines A swarm of dragonet fish A herd of seahorses A troop of dogfish A shoal of shads A swarm of eels A shiver of sharks (school, shoal) A shoal of fish (catch, draught, fray, haul, run, A troupe of shrimps school) A quantity of smelts A glide of flying fish A shoal of sticklebacks (spread) A glint of goldfish (troubling) A flotilla of swordfish A glean of herrings (army, shoal) A hover of trouts (shoal) A shoal of mackerels A float of tunas (troup) A shoal of minnows (steam, stream, swarm) A pod of whitings

AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES (alternatives in brackets) A quiver of cobras A rhumba of rattlesnakes A bask of crocodiles (congregation, float, A den of snakes (bed, knot, nest, pit, trogle) nest) A knot of toads (knob, nest) A herd of dinosaurs (pack) A bale of turtles (dule, turn) A flight of dragons (weyr, wing) A nest of vipers (generation) An army of frogs (colony, froggery, knot) A mess of iguanas PEOPLE (alternatives in brackets) A faculty of academics An eloquence of lawyers A troupe of acrobats A colony of lepers A cast of actors/players (company, cry) An audience of listeners A bench of aldermen An illusion of magicians A conflagration of arsonists A bench of magistrates A troupe of artistes A riches of matrons A team of athletes A morbidity of majors A tabernacle of bakers A band of men A babble of barbers A faith of merchants A promise of barmen A diligence of messengers A thought of barons A troupe of minstrels A squad of beaters A side of morris dancers A bevy of beauties (galaxy) A cortege of mourners A bench of bishops (psalter) An orchestra of musicians A blush of boys A tribe of natives A troop of boy scouts A superfluity of nuns A feast of brewers A crowd of onlookers A pack of Brownies A curse of painters (illusion, misbelieving) A shuffle of bureaucrats A malapertness of pedlars A goring of butchers A crowd of people (audience, congregation, A sneer of butlers mob) A slate of candidates A troupe of performers (troup) A chapter of canons (dignity) A skirl of pipers (poverty) A company of capitalists (syndicate) A posse of police A congregation of churchgoers A converting of preachers A school of clerks A pity of prisoners (gang) A cutting of cobblers (drunkship) A band of robbers A hastiness of cooks A crew of sailors A shrivel of critics A scolding of seamstresses A cowardice of curs A house of senators A troupe of dancers A subtlety of sergeants at law A decanter of deans (decorum) An obeisance of servants A caravan of desert travelers A posse of sheriffs A board of directors A blackening of shoemakers An obstruction of dons A choir of singers A staff of employees A squad of soldiers (army, brigade, company, A panel of experts division, muster, platoon, troop) A stalk of foresters A picket of strikers A talent of gamblers A class of students A company of girl guides A simplicity of subalterns A galaxy of governesses A disguising of tailors A conjunction of grammarians A glozing of taverners A herd of harlots A den of thieves (gang) A melody of harpists A board of trustees An observance of hermits A flock of tourists A gang of hoodlums An unction of undertakers A cavalcade of horsemen A prudence of vicars

A A A A A A

blast of hunters bench of judges (sentence) neverthriving of jugglers banner of knights (rout) gang of labourers bevy of ladies

An ambush of widows A coven of witches A gaggle of women A gang of workmen A congregation of worshippers A worship of writers A fellowship of yeomen

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

MISCELLANEOUS (alternatives in brackets) wing of aircraft (flight) A rouleau of coins host of angels (chorus) A collective of nouns quiver of arrows A bank of monitors bundle of asparagus A range of mountains belt of asteroids A troop of mushrooms bunch of bananas (hand) A rope of onions grove of bayonets A coterie of orchids carillon of bells (change, peal) A ream of paper library of books A budget of papers batch of bread (caste) A string of pearls (rope) bavin of brushwood A pod of peas fleet of cars A phantasmagoria of phantoms pack of cards (deck, hand) An anthology of poems network of computers A rosary of quotations (mellificium) dossier of documents A clump of reeds clutch of eggs A rabble of remedies bundle of firewood A nest of rumours bed of flowers (bouquet, bunch, patch) A fleet of ships (armada, flotilla) colony of fungi A pair of shoes pantheon of gods A shrubbery of shrubs bunch of grapes (cluster) A flight of stairs battery of guns A galaxy of stars (constellation) budget of inventions An anthology of stories chain of islands (archipelago) An arcana of tarot cards cache of jewels An agenda of tasks ring of keys A stand of trees (clump, forest, grove) fleet of lorries (convoy) SOME THAT MIGHT BE A shower of meteorologists An expectation of midwives A horde of misers An annoyance of neighbours A row of oarsmen A body of pathologists A virtue of patients A ponder of philosophers A clique of photographers A nucleus of physicists A breakdown of plans A flush of plumbers A complex of psychologists A following of stalkers A portfolio of stockbrokers A fanfare of strumpets A pack of suitcases A flight of yesterdays A jam of tarts

A balance of accountants A bevy of alcoholics A corps of anatomists A conflagration of arsonists An audit of bookkeepers A rascal of boys A clutch of breasts A clutch of car mechanics A load of cobblers An unease of compromises A galaxy of cosmologists An intrigue of council members A box of cricketers An incredulity of cuckolds A brace of dentists A bodge of DIYers A grid of electricians An exaggeration of fishermen A revelation of flashers

A fraid of ghosts A giggle of girls An expectation of heirs A vagary of impediments A diffidence of introverts A wealth of information A scoop of journalists A flush of lavatories A stack of librarians A babble of linguists A number of mathematicians A compromise of mediators An amalgamation of metallurgists

A hug of teddy bears A ring of telephones A bunch of things A promise of tomorrows A twinkling of todays A cancellation of trains An anorak of trainspotters A linkage of webmasters A break of winds An impatience of wives A yearning of yesterdays An optimism of youths