shepherd

¹

[shep-erd]

noun

1. a person who herds, tends, and guards sheep.

2. a person who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people.

   Synonyms: keeper, defender, guardian, protector

3. a member of the clergy.

4. the Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

5. sheepdog.

verb (used with object)

1. to tend or guard as a shepherd.

   to shepherd the flock.

2. to watch over carefully.

Shepherd

²

[shep-erd]

noun

1. a male given name.

shepherd

¹

/ ˈʃɛpəd /

noun

1. Female equivalent: shepherdess. a person employed to tend sheep

2. a person, such as a clergyman, who watches over or guides a group of people

verb

1. to guide or watch over in the manner of a shepherd

2. Australian rules football to prevent opponents from tackling (a member of one's own team) by blocking their path

Shepherd

²

noun

1. astronomy a small moon of (e.g.) Saturn orbiting close to the rings and partly responsible for ring stability

Other Word Forms

• shepherdless adjective
• shepherdlike adjective
• undershepherd noun
• unshepherded adjective
• unshepherding adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shepherd¹

before 1050; Middle English shepherde, Old English scēphyrde. See sheep, herd ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of shepherd¹

from Old English sceaphirde. See _sheep , _herd ²

Example Sentences

Only the second version includes the shepherd, who is directing his herd away from a dangerous precipice through which water flows from a dam generating power for the mill.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Leask and a network of locals—including a retired dentist, a shepherd and a retired project manager—gathered more information and tipped off officials.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"I might have played second shepherd in the Nativity."

Read more on BBC

After disappearing during a storm at his Northern California home, a small corgi shepherd mix has been located two months later and more than 2,000 miles away in Illinois.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"The charity dollars hadn't changed since 1999 and they asked me to shepherd their way into making it into 2025," he said.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• herder 
• herdsman