crowd

n.

1. Throng

   multitude, concourse, host, horde, flock, mob, swarm, company, confluence, press, crush, surge, stream, troop, conflux, legion, force, bevy, galaxy, rout, group, body, pack, army, posse, drove, array, party, flood, gaggle, troupe, deluge, meet, muster, congregation, cluster, assembly, crew, jam*, herd*, bunch*, gang*, clutch*, batch*, mob scene*; see also gathering.

2. The common people

   rank and file, masses, mob*; see people 3.

3. *A clique

   set, circle, coterie; see clique, faction 1, organization 3.

crowd is applied to an assembly of persons or things in close proximity or densely packed together and may suggest lack of order, loss of personal identity, etc. crowds lined the street; throng specifically suggests a moving crowd of people pushing one another throngs of celebrators at Times Square; multitude stresses greatness of number in referring to persons or things assembled or considered together a multitude arrayed against him; swarm suggests a large, continuously moving group a swarm of sightseers; mob implies a disorderly or lawless crowd, and is an abusive term when used to describe the mass of common people; host specifically suggests a large organized body marshaled together but may be used generally of any sizable group considered collectively she has a host of friends; horde specifically refers to a large predatory band a horde of office seekers

crowd

v.