herd

¹ American  

[hurd] / hɜrd /

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.

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verb (used without object)

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

idioms

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

   He rode herd on 40 students in each class.

herd ² American  

[hurd] / hɜrd /

noun

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

   a cowherd;

   a goatherd;

   a shepherd.

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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 British  

/ hɜːd /

noun

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

   2. ( in combination )

      goatherd

      swineherd

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verb

1. to drive forwards in a large group

2. to look after (livestock)

herd ² British  

/ 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

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verb

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

herd More Idioms  

1. see ride herd on.

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Grammar

See collective noun.

Synonym Usage

See flock ¹.

Etymology

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

Explanation

A herd is a bunch of animals — or people who act like a bunch of animals. It's also a verb — when people herd animals, they try to keep them moving in the same direction. A herd usually refers to a group of animals with hooves, like cows or sheep (meat-eating animals like wolves cruise around in packs). On a farm, sheepdogs are in charge of herding the herd of sheep. Herds of buffalo roam the plains. It's rarely a good thing when people act like a herd, which is to do what everyone else is doing. You might want "to break away from the herd" if everyone is wearing pinwheel hats, for example. If you're having trouble getting people together, you might say it's like "herding cats." Cats never follow directions.

Example Sentences

Harmon alerted stakeholders, including Aiello, who was immediately concerned about how the wire might affect a herd of bighorn sheep that migrates across the border.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

They are driven by human information processing — knowing how to weigh news as it arrives — and by fear, greed, panic, herd mentality and other emotions.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

But when winter comes, he will have to buy feed in, and hire extra help to manage the herd under cover.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

The U.S. cattle herd is currently at its smallest size since the 1950s after years of drought and elevated feed costs pushed ranchers to reduce herd sizes.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

It was the largest creature of the herd; it had come not from the island but from the sky over the water.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

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