horde

[ hawrd, hohrd ]

noun

1. a large group, multitude, number, etc.; a mass or crowd:

   a horde of tourists.

   Synonyms: throng, herd, mob

2. a tribe or troop of Asian nomads.
3. any nomadic group.
4. a moving pack or swarm of animals:

   A horde of mosquitoes invaded the camp.

verb (used without object)

, hord·ed, hord·ing.

1. to gather in a horde:

   The prisoners horded together in the compound.

horde

/ hɔːd /

noun

1. a vast crowd; throng; mob
2. a local group of people in a nomadic society
3. a nomadic group of people, esp an Asiatic group
4. a large moving mass of animals, esp insects

verb

1. intr to form, move in, or live in a horde

Usage

Horde is sometimes wrongly written where hoard is meant: a hoard (not horde ) of gold coins

Word History and Origins

Origin of horde¹

First recorded in 1545–55; earlier also hord, horda, ultimately from Czech, Polish horda, from Ukrainian dialect gordá, Ukrainian ordá, Old Russian (originally in the phrase Zolotaya orda “the Golden Horde”), via Mongolian or directly from Turkic ordu, orda “royal residence or camp” (later, “any military encampment, army”); Urdu

Word History and Origins

Origin of horde¹

C16: from Polish horda, from Turkish ordū camp; compare Urdu

Example Sentences

It’s a perfect weeklong route for mountain lovers looking to escape the hordes visiting nearby parks and take in a bit of locals-only Washington.

From Outside Online

Merck employed hordes of chemists to produce large quantities of chemical compounds for use in new drugs.

From MIT Technology Review

Its population explodes from about 5,000 to 250,000 when the vacation hordes descend.

From Washington Post

Every title sticks to the original’s formula of some kind of item management, exploration and puzzle solving — and, crucially, fighting off zombie hordes.

From Washington Post

It was always there, a shuffling horde of familiar faces dissolved into vague, generic sketches.

From MIT Technology Review

But along with the cartoon funk is an all-too-real story of police brutality embodied by a horde of evil Pigs.

From The Daily Beast

Here is a title that, in its prologue, tasks players with fighting a horde of angels on top of a moving jet.

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps the threat of legal action has also played a role in curbing the horde of dyspeptic deviants.

From The Daily Beast

Mrs. Clooney has been followed around Athens during a three-day visit by a horde of paparazzi that number into the hundreds.

From The Daily Beast

At about 10 p.m., a horde of Hungarian police officers raided the bar, demanding that everybody show their identification.

From The Daily Beast

In China the patriarch of a nomad horde became emperor of a nation retaining ancestor worship as its chief religious system.

From Project Gutenberg

The failure of this horde did not in the least check the proceedings of Sharp or Lauderdale or their like-minded colleagues.

From Project Gutenberg

In 1810 a threatened attack from a marauding horde of Kafirs was averted in answer to prayer.

From Project Gutenberg

It was this inspiration that changed a strong German horde into a people that loved culture, art and education.

From Project Gutenberg

He led the Auvergners to the left of the battle, where the Seljouk horde seemed thinnest.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• crowd
• crush
• gang
• mob
• multitude
• swarm

Horde Vs. Hoard

What’s the difference between horde and hoard?

Horde is a noun referring to a large group or mob of people, especially one considered in a negative way, as in I’d rather avoid the hordes of tourists. Hoard is a verb meaning to accumulate things and closely guard them, often in a greedy or excessive way, as in Dragons are known for hoarding treasure. It can also be used as a noun to collectively refer to the things that have been accumulated, as in a hoard of treasure. 

The word horde is also used in a more specific way to refer to a group of nomads. It is especially associated with the Mongol army of the 1200s (sometimes known as the Golden Horde). Horde can also be a verb, meaning to gather or move in a horde, but this use is much less common.

Both words often relate to large groups, but a hoard is an accumulation of items, while a horde is a group of people (or animals).

To remember which spelling to use, remember that nomadic hordes sometimes travel on horses. The word hoard, on the other hand, hoards the letter A all for itself.

Here’s an example of horde and hoard used correctly in a sentence.

Example: A horde of invaders sacked the city and looted the royal treasure hoard. 

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between hoard and horde.

Quiz yourself on horde vs. hoard!

Should horde or hoard be used in the following sentence?

At noon, a _____ of hungry children will descend upon the cafeteria.