herd

¹

[hurd]

noun

1. a number of animals kept, feeding, or traveling together; drove; flock.

   a herd of cattle;

   a herd of sheep;

   a herd of zebras.

2. Sometimes Disparaging.,  a large group of people.

   The star was mobbed by a herd of autograph seekers.

   Synonyms: mob, crowd

3. any large quantity.

   a herd of bicycles.

4. the herd, the common people; the masses; the rabble.

   He had no opinions of his own, but simply followed the herd.

verb (used without object)

1. to unite or go in a herd; assemble or associate as a herd.

herd

²

[hurd]

noun

1. a person in charge of a herd (usually used in combination).

   a cowherd;

   a goatherd;

   a shepherd.

verb (used with object)

1. to tend, drive, or lead (cattle, sheep, etc.).

   Synonyms: watch, protect, guard

2. to conduct or drive (a group of people) to a destination.

   The teacher herded the children into the classroom.

herd

¹

/ hɜːd /

noun

1. 1. archaic,  a man or boy who tends livestock; herdsman

   2. ( in combination )

      goatherd

      swineherd

verb

1. to drive forwards in a large group

2. to look after (livestock)

herd

²

/ hɜːd /

noun

1. a large group of mammals living and feeding together, esp a group of cattle, sheep, etc

2. derogatory,  a large group of people

3. derogatory,  the large mass of ordinary people

verb

1. to collect or be collected into or as if into a herd

Grammar Note

See collective noun.

Word History and Origins

Origin of herd¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English heord; cognate with Gothic hairda, German Herde

Origin of herd²

First recorded before 900; Middle English herd(e), hirde, Old English hierde, hirde, hyrde; cognate with Gothic hairdeis, German Hirt(e); derivative of herd ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of herd¹

Old English hirde; related to Old Norse hirthir, Gothic hairdeis, Old High German hirti, Old Saxon hirdi, herdi; see _herd ¹

Origin of herd²

Old English heord; related to Old Norse hjörth, Gothic hairda, Old High German herta, Greek kórthus troop

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. ride herd on, to have charge or control of; maintain discipline over.

   He rode herd on 40 students in each class.

see ride herd on.

Synonym Study

See flock ¹.

Example Sentences

He recalled that he and his friends had been herding cattle near the Mauritanian border, and had stopped by a well to get fresh water when they saw a cloud of dust in the distance.

Read more on BBC

As a young father, Craig moved his family to the Northern Territories of Australia, where he wrangled “scrub bulls and buffalo” that had escaped from herds and needed to be sent to market.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“It’s a little bit like herding cats sometimes,” Kramer said of keeping volunteers from trying to slink away.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Even after Blanc arrives, he’s confounded to find himself occasionally standing on the sidelines, a bystander in Jud’s moral crusade to herd his congregation toward righteousness.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Finlays implemented the cow-with-calf system with their herd, but the decision almost bankrupted the business when they did not have enough milk left to sell to market.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• brood 
• flock 
• horde 
• mob 
• swarm 
• throng