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herd¹ Definition

herd (hʉrd)

noun

  1. a number of cattle, sheep, or other animals feeding, living, or being driven together
    1. any large group suggestive of this; crowd; company
    2. the common people; masses: a contemptuous term

Etymology: ME < OE heord, akin to Ger herde < IE base *kerdho-, a row, group > Sans árdha, a herd, troop

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to gather together or move as a herd, group, crowd, etc.

herd² Definition

herd (hʉrd)

noun

a herdsman: now chiefly in combination cowherd, shepherd

Etymology: ME herde < OE hierde (akin to Ger hirt) < same base as herd

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to tend or drive as a herdsman

herd² Related Forms

herder noun

herd² Idioms

ride herd on

  1. to control a moving herd of (cattle) from horseback
  2. to keep a close or oppressive watch or control over

herd Synonyms

herd

n.

  1. A number of animals

    flock, drove, pack, brood, swarm, lot, bevy, covey, gaggle, nest, brood, flight, school, clan; see also gathering.

  2. Disparaging term for common people

    rabble, mob, multitude, the masses, hoi polloi; see also crowd 1, people 3.

herd Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • buffalo: They followed vast herds of buffalo from which they obtained most of the necessities of life.
  • wildebeest: Every drum beat, keyboard line and virtuoso cheesy guitar solo thunders out of your speakers at 100mph like a herd of rampant wildebeest.
  • deer: From the times of Charles I herds of deer had occupied Richmond Park, at that time outside of the city of London.
  • cattle: A herd of 20 cattle can be treated for about £ 8. Even the white man can see sense in the policy.
  • cow: The children learned former residents used to take herds of cows down the high street which was then just a dirt track.
  • elephant: A herd of wild elephant can do a great deal of damage to a farmer's crops.

Converse of object

  • calve: With a shift to spring calving herds, more beef producers left bull buying until the sales early in the year.
  • restock: Raiding has always been used as a strategy to restock herds during or after a drought.
  • migrate: Narrow, funnel valleys and dead ends were typically chosen, where migrating herds would be naturally slowed down or brought to a halt.

Adjective modifier

  • infected: In its most recent study, obtained by CTV News, the number of infected dairy herds had risen.
  • Friesian: Since early last year milk has been supplied from a Friesian herd near Maryport.
  • closed: It was stated that a source material from a BSE free closed herd should be acceptable.

Modifies a noun

  • immunity: The findings implied benefits for herd immunity from natural infection against herpes zoster in adults.
  • instinct: Two put in more than half the money ( yes, a key investor will trigger the herd instinct ).

Noun used with modifier

  • suckler: Has suckler herd 40 cows, 90 head cattle.
  • dairy: The group finished their visit with dairy herd manager Mike Davies giving a tour of the new parlor.
  • pedigree: Single Gloucester can, by official designation, only be made on farms in Gloucestershire which have a pedigree herd of Gloucester cattle.
  • beef: For example, Continental breeds now dominate the national beef herd.
  • cattle: Among goat herds 89 % success was reported On poultry farms 92 % success was achieved Among cattle herds success was 100 % .
  • deer: The damage to forestry by deer herds is considerable.

Browse dictionary entries near herd

  1. Hercules'-club
  2. Hercules
  3. Herculean
  4. Herculaneum
  5. Hercegovina
  6. herby
  7. herbivorous
  8. herbivore
  9. herbicide
  10. Herbert
  1. herd's-grass
  2. Herder
  3. herdic
  4. herdsman
  5. here
  6. here and there
  7. here's
  8. here's to!
  9. hereabout
  10. hereafter