Herd Definition
hûrd
herded, herding, herds
noun
herds
A group of cattle or other domestic animals of a single kind kept together for a specific purpose.
American Heritage
A number of cattle, sheep, or other animals feeding, living, or being driven together.
Webster's New World
Any large group suggestive of this; crowd; company.
Webster's New World
The common people; masses.
Webster's New World
A herdsman.
Cowherd, shepherd.
Webster's New World
verb
herded, herding, herds
To gather together or move as a herd, group, crowd, etc.
Webster's New World
To gather, keep, or drive (animals) in a herd.
American Heritage
To tend or drive as a herdsman.
Webster's New World
To gather and place into a group or mass.
Herded the children into the auditorium.
American Heritage
(intransitive) 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. Addison.
Wiktionary
idiom
ride herd on
- to control a moving herd of (cattle) from horseback
- to keep a close or oppressive watch or control over
Webster's New World
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Herd
Origin of Herd
-
From Middle English herde, heerde, heorde, from Old English hierd, heord (“herd, flock; keeping, care, custody”), from Proto-Germanic *herdō (“herd”), from Proto-Indo-European *kerdʰ- (“file, row, herd”). Cognate with German Herde, Swedish hjord. Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian herdhe, çerdhe (“bird nest, cradle, kindergarten”).
From Wiktionary
-
Old English hirde, hierde, from Proto-Germanic *hirdijaz. Cognate with German Hirte, Swedish herde, Danish hyrde.
From Wiktionary
Middle English from Old English heord
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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