herd¹ Definition
herd (hʉrd)
noun
- a number of cattle, sheep, or other animals feeding, living, or being driven together
- any large group suggestive of this; crowd; company
- 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
herd′er noun
herd² Idioms
ride herd on
☆- to control a moving herd of (cattle) from horseback
- to keep a close or oppressive watch or control over
herd Synonyms
herd
n.
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
- ‹ Hercules'-club
- ‹ Hercules
- ‹ Herculean
- ‹ Herculaneum
- ‹ Hercegovina
- ‹ herby
- ‹ herbivorous
- ‹ herbivore
- ‹ herbicide
- ‹ Herbert
- herd's-grass ›
- Herder ›
- herdic ›
- herdsman ›
- here ›
- here and there ›
- here's ›
- here's to! ›
- hereabout ›
- hereafter ›

