flock

¹ American  

[flok] / flɒk /

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.

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verb (used without object)

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

   They flocked around the football hero.

flock ² American  

[flok] / flɒk /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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. another word for floccule

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verb

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

flock ² British  

/ 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

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verb

1. to gather together or move in a flock

2. to go in large numbers

   people flocked to the church

Grammar

See collective noun.

Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• flockless
  adjective
• flocky
  adjective

Etymology

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

Explanation

The word flock refers to a group of animals, like birds or sheep, that have congregated together. The flock of pigeons at the park is so tame that they'll eat right out of your hand. You can also use flock to mean a congregation of people, like a flock of children at the zoo, or a group of people belonging to a church. As a verb, flock means to gather together as a flock or to move together in a group. You and your friends might flock to the mall when you learn that your favorite singer will be there signing autographs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flock

US Airways Flight 1549 came down in the Hudson River on 15 January 2009, after both its engines were disabled in a collision with a flock of geese shortly after take-off.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

That has caused "more customers to flock to him while putting a massive amount of pressure on the rest of us", she said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

Since the garden exhibited its first corpse flower in 1999, thousands of people flock to its conservatory every summer, just to smell these putrid plants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Now Shah—as well as former state Senate President Troy Jackson or Secretary of State Shenna Bellows—could flock back to the potential Senate availability, having lost the governor’s race.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

Roz gave a friendly wave, and soon the flock was gathering around, curious to meet this odd character.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Related Words

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