bevy

American  

[bev-ee] / ˈbɛv i /

noun

bevies plural

1. a group of birds, as larks or quail, or animals, as roebuck, in close association.

   Synonyms:

   brood, flight, covey

2. a large group or collection.

   a bevy of boisterous sailors.

   Synonyms:

   company, assembly

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bevy British  

/ ˈbɛvɪ /

noun

1. a flock of quails

2. a group, esp of girls

3. a group of roedeer

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Etymology

Origin of bevy

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bevey, of obscure origin

Explanation

A bevy is a flock of birds. Although the term can be used for a variety of birds, it most often refers specifically to a bevy of quail. Other terms exist to describe flocks of other types of birds — a murder of crows, for example. A bevy can also describe a large gathering of people, usually of the same type (a bevy of schoolchildren; a bevy of tourists). Most often, however, bevy is used to refer to a gathering of women. At a family reunion, you may find your grandmother holding court in the kitchen with a bevy of female relations. Young, attractive women are sometimes referred to, somewhat poetically, as "a bevy of beauties."

Example Sentences

Mary, on the other hand, is a clumsy bird who, in Hadlow’s telling, becomes a perfectly capable duckling swimming fiercely amid a bevy of swans.

From Salon • May 20, 2026

But despite the bevy of prominent candidates running to lead the nation’s most populous state and the world’s fourth-largest economy, this year’s governor’s race has long lacked a clear front-runner well known by the electorate.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

The sharp axe of member-driven justice may not end there, as the House returned to a bevy of simmering misdeeds following its two-week recess.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

Saronic is only one of a bevy of aerospace and defense unicorns—privately held companies worth more than $1 billion—a list that includes Anduril, Shield AI, and Hadrian.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

It passed through the car, dragging a small bevy of tiny brown mariposas into the car.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall