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Collective nouns are words that describe groups of people, animals, or things. While most people know common collective nouns like "team," "family," and "flock," English has hundreds of specific collective nouns — many of them colorful, surprising, and delightful. A "murder" of crows, a "parliament" of owls, an "embarrassment" of pandas — these vivid terms are one of the most entertaining corners of the English language.
This guide provides a comprehensive collection of over 200 collective nouns, explains the tricky grammar of subject-verb agreement with collective nouns, and shares the fascinating history behind these terms.
What Are Collective Nouns?
A collective noun is a word that refers to a group of individuals as a single entity. The group can consist of people (a team, a jury, a class), animals (a flock, a herd, a school), or things (a bunch, a collection, a set).
Collective nouns are a type of noun, one of the fundamental parts of speech. What makes them special is their dual nature: grammatically, they are usually singular (one group), but semantically, they refer to multiple individuals within that group. This duality creates interesting challenges for verb agreement.
Singular or Plural? Subject-Verb Agreement
The most common grammar question about collective nouns is whether they take singular or plural verbs. The answer depends on context and whether you follow American or British conventions.
American English: Generally Singular
In American English, collective nouns are typically treated as singular when the group acts as a unit:
- "The team is winning." (The team acts as one.)
- "The committee has reached a decision."
- "The family is going on vacation."
British English: Singular or Plural
British English is more flexible, readily using plural verbs when emphasizing the individual members of the group:
- "The team are arguing among themselves." (Individuals within the team are acting separately.)
- "The government have disagreed on the policy."
The Key Principle
If the group is acting as a single unit, use a singular verb. If the individual members are acting separately, a plural verb can be used (especially in British English). When in doubt, American writers should default to singular.
Collective Nouns for Animals
Animal collective nouns are the most colorful and varied in the English language. Many date back to medieval hunting traditions:
| Animal | Collective Noun |
|---|---|
| Ants | a colony of ants |
| Bats | a colony (or cloud) of bats |
| Bears | a sleuth of bears |
| Bees | a swarm (or hive) of bees |
| Birds | a flock of birds |
| Buffalo | a herd (or gang) of buffalo |
| Butterflies | a kaleidoscope of butterflies |
| Cats | a clowder of cats |
| Cattle | a herd of cattle |
| Crows | a murder of crows |
| Deer | a herd of deer |
| Dogs | a pack of dogs |
| Dolphins | a pod of dolphins |
| Doves | a dole of doves |
| Eagles | a convocation of eagles |
| Elephants | a herd (or parade) of elephants |
| Fish | a school (or shoal) of fish |
| Flamingos | a flamboyance of flamingos |
| Foxes | a skulk of foxes |
| Frogs | an army of frogs |
| Geese | a gaggle (on ground) or skein (in flight) |
| Giraffes | a tower of giraffes |
| Gorillas | a band of gorillas |
| Hawks | a cast of hawks |
| Horses | a herd (or string) of horses |
| Hyenas | a cackle of hyenas |
| Jellyfish | a smack of jellyfish |
| Kangaroos | a mob of kangaroos |
| Kittens | a litter (or kindle) of kittens |
| Larks | an exaltation of larks |
| Leopards | a leap of leopards |
| Lions | a pride of lions |
| Monkeys | a troop of monkeys |
| Owls | a parliament of owls |
| Pandas | an embarrassment of pandas |
| Parrots | a pandemonium of parrots |
| Penguins | a colony (or waddle) of penguins |
| Pigs | a sounder of pigs |
| Ravens | an unkindness of ravens |
| Sharks | a shiver of sharks |
| Sheep | a flock of sheep |
| Snakes | a nest (or den) of snakes |
| Starlings | a murmuration of starlings |
| Storks | a mustering of storks |
| Swans | a bevy of swans |
| Tigers | an ambush (or streak) of tigers |
| Turtles | a bale of turtles |
| Whales | a pod of whales |
| Wolves | a pack of wolves |
| Zebras | a zeal (or dazzle) of zebras |
Collective Nouns for People
| Group | Collective Noun |
|---|---|
| Actors | a cast or troupe of actors |
| Athletes | a team of athletes |
| Dancers | a troupe of dancers |
| Directors | a board of directors |
| Experts | a panel of experts |
| Judges | a bench of judges |
| Musicians | a band or orchestra of musicians |
| People (general) | a crowd, throng, mob, or gathering |
| Priests | a congregation of worshippers |
| Sailors | a crew of sailors |
| Soldiers | a troop, regiment, or army of soldiers |
| Students | a class of students |
| Teachers | a faculty of teachers |
| Thieves | a gang or den of thieves |
| Voters | an electorate of voters |
Collective Nouns for Things
- a bouquet of flowers
- a bunch of grapes (or keys, bananas)
- a bundle of sticks (or nerves)
- a collection of stamps (or art, coins)
- a fleet of ships (or cars, aircraft)
- a forest of trees
- a galaxy of stars
- a heap of rubbish
- a library of books
- a mountain of paperwork
- a pile of laundry
- a range of mountains
- a set of tools (or dishes)
- a stack of papers (or pancakes)
- a string of pearls
- a suite of rooms (or furniture)
- a wad of cash
Unusual and Entertaining Collective Nouns
Some of the most delightful words in English are fanciful collective nouns:
- a shrewdness of apes
- a conspiracy of lemurs
- a bloat of hippos
- a flamboyance of flamingos
- a prickle of porcupines
- a crash of rhinos
- an intrusion of cockroaches
- a wisdom of wombats
- a business of ferrets
- a fever of stingrays
- a tower of giraffes
- a destruction of cats (wild)
The History of Collective Nouns
Many of the most colorful animal collective nouns originated in the 15th century, particularly from "The Book of Saint Albans" (1486), a handbook on hunting and heraldry. This book compiled "terms of venery" — specialized vocabulary used by the English gentry for different groups of animals during hunts.
Some of these terms were practical: a "pack" of hounds describes dogs used together in a hunt. Others were playful or poetic: a "murmuration" of starlings captures the murmuring sound of thousands of birds in flight; an "exaltation" of larks reflects the bird's soaring, joyful song.
The tradition of inventing creative collective nouns continues today. Modern coinages include an "embarrassment" of pandas and a "crash" of rhinos — newer terms that follow the same spirit of whimsy and observation that characterized the medieval originals.
Usage Tips
- Use the standard terms for common groups: flock of birds, herd of cattle, pack of wolves, school of fish. These are understood universally.
- Use obscure terms sparingly: While "a parliament of owls" is charming, using too many exotic collective nouns can feel pretentious or confusing.
- Be consistent with agreement: If you treat a collective noun as singular in one sentence, keep it singular throughout the passage. "The team is winning. They are happy" mixes singular ("is") and plural ("they").
- Use "members of" for clarity: If you need a plural verb, rephrase: "The members of the committee disagree" avoids the awkwardness of "The committee disagree."
Collective nouns add color, specificity, and charm to English. From the practical "herd" and "flock" to the whimsical "murmuration" and "flamboyance," these words reflect centuries of human observation and linguistic creativity.