clowder

American  

[klou-der] / ˈklaʊ dər /

noun

1. a group or cluster of cats.

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Etymology

Origin of clowder

First recorded in 1795–1805; variant of dialectal clodder “clotted mass,” noun use of clodder “to clot, coagulate,” Middle English clothered, clothred (past participle), variant of clotered; compare obsolete clotter “to huddle together”; see clutter

Explanation

If you've seen a bunch of cats hanging out together — a fellowship of felines, if you will — you can say that you've seen a clowder, the collective term for a group of cats. The term clowder is usually reserved for a group of domestic or feral cats, rather than for a group of wildcats. (For example, a group of lions is a pride, and a group of cheetahs is a coalition.) The word clowder is also specific to a group of adult cats; a group of kittens is usually called a litter. Other terms that can be used for a group of cats are a pounce — especially if the cats are being playful — and a glaring — if the cats are staring at each other suspiciously.

Example Sentences

Our beast spent the first few weeks of his life in a happy, well socialized clowder monitored by a veterinarian.

From Salon • Dec. 6, 2024

Strange cases like Byard’s clowder of cats may be written up and published as case studies, but minor bites may go unreported, and there are no central databases for forensic reports, she notes.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 19, 2024

I leaned over and saw puppeteers sitting on skateboards while they hid behind a table, rolling into one another in apparent bliss as their hands animated a clowder of felt cats above their heads.

From New York Times • Mar. 11, 2023

After her boss attempts to kill her, Selina is revived by a clowder and embraces her inner supervillain.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2022

Someone had once told me that a group of cats was called a clowder or a glaring.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda