Collective Nouns: Group Words for People, Animals and Things

Collective nouns are words used to describe a group of things or individuals. Examples of collective nouns include “flock” of birds, “herd” of cattle, and “school” of fish. In English, there are many different types of collective nouns, each with its own unique meaning and usage. Collective nouns can be used to describe groups of people, animals, objects, and even abstract concepts. In this article, we will learn the list of collective nouns with their meanings.

Contents

Collective Nouns

List of Collective Nouns

Collective Nouns for People

Here is a list of some common collective nouns for groups of people in English:

A team of players
A cast of actors
A committee of members
A congregation of people
A council of elders
A crew of sailors
A crowd of people
A family of relatives
A group of friends
A panel of experts
A parliament of politicians
A troupe of dancers
A squad of soldiers
A class of students
A company of actors
A gang of workers
A jury of peers
A panel of judges
A team of researchers
A crew of pilots
A band of musicians
A delegation of ambassadors
A flock of sheeple
A society of people
A mob of protesters
A panel of interviewers
A board of directors
A squad of police
A team of engineers
A crew of firefighters
A group of tourists
A class of graduates
A congregation of worshippers
A council of leaders
A group of co-workers
A league of sportsmen
A staff of employees
A team of scientists
A corps of volunteers
A council of representatives
A squad of security
A roster of employees
A panel of experts
A group of activists
A committee of organizers
A team of consultants
A class of pupils
A group of participants
A squad of firefighters
A team of professionals

Collective Nouns for Animals

Here is a list of some common collective nouns for groups of animals in English:

A herd of cattle
A flock of birds
A school of fish
A pack of wolves
A swarm of bees
A pride of lions
A gaggle of geese
A colony of ants
A pod of whales
A litter of puppies
A colony of bats
A pack of dogs
A swarm of locusts
A herd of deer
A flock of sheep
A pack of coyotes
A swarm of hornets
A pride of peacocks
A flock of chickens
A pack of foxes
A school of sharks
A pod of dolphins
A herd of elephants
A flock of turkeys
A pack of hyenas
A swarm of mosquitoes
A pride of cheetahs
A flock of ducks
A pack of raccoons
A school of tuna
A herd of bison
A flock of pigeons
A pack of jackals
A swarm of flies
A pride of lions
A flock of swans
A pack of mules
A school of sardines
A herd of moose
A flock of seagulls
A pack of wolves
A swarm of bees
A pride of panthers
A flock of geese
A pack of hounds
A school of herring
A herd of muskoxen
A flock of ravens
A pack of coyotes
A swarm of termites

Collective Nouns for Things

Here is a list of some common collective nouns for groups of things in English:

A bunch of grapes
A library of books
A fleet of ships
A set of golf clubs
A suite of rooms
A battery of tests
A bouquet of flowers
A cloud of dust
A collection of art
A group of islands
A forest of trees
A host of angels
A pack of cards
A group of islands
A set of tools
A fleet of cars
A pile of leaves
A bunch of bananas
A stack of papers
A collection of coins
A fleet of airplanes
A set of dishes
A bundle of sticks
A bunch of keys
A set of instructions
A fleet of trucks
A group of buildings
A cluster of stars
A set of utensils
A collection of stamps
A fleet of boats
A set of encyclopedias
A bundle of cloth
A bunch of flowers
A set of regulations
A fleet of trains
A group of statues
A cluster of galaxies
A set of furniture
A collection of shells
A fleet of buses
A set of headphones
A bundle of cables
A bunch of balloons
A set of rules
A fleet of bikes
A group of sculptures
A cluster of crystals
A set of musical instruments
A collection of figurines

Common Collective Nouns

Herd – A group of herbivore animals
Pack – A group of canine animals such as wolves or dogs; also used to describe playing cards and packages containing multiple objects
Flock – A group of birds; also used to discuss small hooved animals such as sheep or goats
Swarm – A group of insects
Shoal – A group of fish
Group – A very general term used to describe people, places, things, and animals
Crowd – Usually used to describe a group of people
Gang – Usually used to describe a group of criminals; also used to describe a group of workers, particularly sailors or dock workers
Mob – Normally used to describe an angry or unruly group of people; also used to describe a group of kangaroos
Staff – A group of people who work in the same place
Crew – Usually used to denote a group of workers; also used to describe aircraft and ships personnel
Choir – A large, organized group of singers
Orchestra – A large, organized group of instrumentalists, led by a conductor
Panel – A group of experts
Board – A group of people, usually professionals, who take on an advisory role
Troupe – A group of actors or acrobats; also used to describe a group of monkeys
Bunch – Usually a group of smallish objects such as grapes, flowers, keys, or bananas
Pile – An untidy collection of items such as rubbish
Heap – A mounded collection of items; used interchangeably with “pile”
Set – A tidy group of matched objects such as dishes; also used to describe rules or a social group of people
Stack – A group of items neatly laid one on top of another; i.e., a stack of books
Series – Used to discuss movies, books, or events that follow one after another, i.e. Star Trek or Harry Potter
Shower – Usually used to describe rain, although it can be used to describe gifts or compliments
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