flock

¹

[ flok ]

noun

1. a number of animals of one kind, especially sheep, goats, or birds, that keep or feed together or are herded together.

   Synonyms: swarm, school, shoal, litter, hatch, brood, gaggle, flight, covey, bevy

2. a large number of people; crowd.

   Synonyms: assembly, company, group

3. a large group of things:

   a flock of letters to answer.

4. (in New Testament and ecclesiastical use)
   1. the Christian church in relation to Christ.
   2. a single congregation in relation to its pastor.
5. Archaic. a band or company of persons.

verb (used without object)

1. to gather or go in a flock or crowd:

   They flocked around the football hero.

flock

²

[ flok ]

noun

1. a lock or tuft of wool, hair, cotton, etc.
2. (sometimes used with a plural verb) wool refuse, shearings of cloth, old cloth torn to pieces, or the like, for upholstering furniture, stuffing mattresses, etc.
3. Also called flocking. (sometimes used with a plural verb) finely powdered wool, cloth, etc., used for producing a velvetlike pattern on wallpaper or cloth or for coating metal.
4. floc ( def 1 ).

verb (used with object)

1. to stuff with flock, as a mattress.
2. to decorate or coat with flock, as wallpaper, cloth, or metal.

flock

¹

/ flɒk /

noun

1. a group of animals of one kind, esp sheep or birds
2. a large number of people; crowd
3. a body of Christians regarded as the pastoral charge of a priest, a bishop, the pope, etc
4. rare.
   a band of people; group

verb

1. to gather together or move in a flock
2. to go in large numbers

   people flocked to the church

flock

²

/ flɒk /

noun

1. a tuft, as of wool, hair, cotton, etc
2. 1. waste from fabrics such as cotton, wool, or other cloth used for stuffing mattresses, upholstered chairs, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      flock mattress

3. very small tufts of wool applied to fabrics, wallpaper, etc, to give a raised pattern
4. See floccule
   another word for floccule

verb

1. tr to fill, cover, or ornament with flock

Grammar Note

See collective noun.

Derived Forms

• ˈflocky, adjective

Other Words From

• flockless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flock¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun flok, Old English floc; cognate with Old Norse flokkr; the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of flock²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English flok, from Old French floc, from Latin floccus floccus

Word History and Origins

Origin of flock¹

Old English flocc ; related to Old Norse flokkr crowd, Middle Low German vlocke

Origin of flock²

C13: from Old French floc , from Latin floccus ; probably related to Old High German floccho down, Norwegian flugsa snowflake

Synonym Study

Flock, drove, herd, pack refer to a company of animals, often under the care or guidance of someone. Flock is the popular term, which applies to groups of animals, especially of sheep or goats, and companies of birds: This lamb is the choicest of the flock. A flock of wild geese flew overhead. Drove is especially applied to a number of oxen, sheep, or swine when driven in a group: A drove of oxen was taken to market. A large drove of swine filled the roadway. Herd is usually applied to large animals such as cattle, originally meaning those under the charge of someone; but by extension, to other animals feeding or driven together: a buffalo herd; a herd of elephants. Pack applies to a number of animals kept together or keeping together for offense or defense: a pack of hounds kept for hunting; a pack of wolves. As applied to people, drove, herd, and pack carry a contemptuous implication.

Example Sentences

Later, she won a new flock of fans as BFF Lilly in “The Princess Diaries” movies, as well.

From Washington Blade

A flock of birds is kind of a canonical example of self-organization.

From Quanta Magazine

On Monday, a flock of tech companies decided it was time to make their plans to go public, well, public, as tech stocks have soared during the pandemic.

From Fortune

When the duo surveyed singles about the personality traits they were looking for in romantic partners, they found that a similarity model—the age-old idea that birds of a feather flock together—best described the data.

From Nautilus

One of the yeomen warders, known as the ravenmaster, is also responsible for looking after the tower’s resident flock of ravens.

From Fortune

Behind him stood a flock of fifth-grade boys—and two second-grade girls—all of them wearing the exact same yellow hat.

From The Daily Beast

Fans of the series will flock to see ‘Mockingjay’ this Thanksgiving weekend.

From The Daily Beast

And almost immediately, his fellow survivors flock to him, seeing his potential to be a great hero.

From The Daily Beast

Pressing the dodge button at the right time causes her to temporarily burst into an invincible flock of crows.

From The Daily Beast

He is to be admired for his kindness and genuine pastoral concern for all the members of his flock.

From The Daily Beast

A flock of weary sheep pattered along the road, barnward bound, heavy eyed and bleating softly.

From Project Gutenberg

Once he suddenly found himself in the road driving a small flock of goats, whose he knew not, nor whence he got them.

From Project Gutenberg

The faces of a flock of sheep are to a stranger all alike; to the shepherd, each has its personal individuality.

From Project Gutenberg

I have not been able to learn that the migratory flock above spoken of extended to any of the other Islands.

From Project Gutenberg

Gwynne accepted this act of sacrifice with a matter-of-fact nod, and it was but a moment later that they came upon another flock.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• assembly
• colony
• congregation
• gathering
• legion
• multitude
• throng