shepherd

¹ American  

[shep-erd] / ˈʃɛp ərd /

noun

1. a person who herds, tends, and guards sheep.

2. a person who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people.

   Synonyms:

   keeper, defender, guardian, protector

3. a member of the clergy.

4. the Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

5. sheepdog.

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verb (used with object)

1. to tend or guard as a shepherd.

   to shepherd the flock.

2. to watch over carefully.

Shepherd ² American  

[shep-erd] / ˈʃɛp ərd /

noun

1. a male given name.

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shepherd ¹ British  

/ ˈʃɛpəd /

noun

1. Female equivalent: shepherdess.  a person employed to tend sheep

2. a person, such as a clergyman, who watches over or guides a group of people

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verb

1. to guide or watch over in the manner of a shepherd

2. Australian rules football to prevent opponents from tackling (a member of one's own team) by blocking their path

Shepherd ² British  

noun

1. astronomy a small moon of (e.g.) Saturn orbiting close to the rings and partly responsible for ring stability

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Other Word Forms

• shepherdless adjective
• shepherdlike adjective
• undershepherd noun
• unshepherded adjective
• unshepherding adjective

Etymology

Origin of shepherd

before 1050; Middle English shepherde, Old English scēphyrde. See sheep, herd ²

Explanation

A shepherd is a person who herds flocks or groups of animals. If you traveled to Tibet, you might see a yak shepherd. Shepherd comes from the Old English sceaphierde: sheepherder. Such a person protects sheep from animals that would attack them, keeps them from wandering, and otherwise takes care of the flock. The word is also a verb that describes care of a group — sheep, other animals, even people. You might shepherd your herd of goats, or shepherd your younger siblings through the transition from elementary to middle school.

Example Sentences

Unless you are at the level of wealth where you’re hiring a full-time money manager to shepherd your family foundation, you should retain control over your finances.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

If the customer wanted cool, Jacobs would be their shepherd, skipping hand-in-hand with them into the future with abandon.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

He clerked for Neil Gorsuch when he was a federal judge and helped shepherd support for Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court in Trump’s first term.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

A former shepherd once told me that sheep are only ever trying to do one of three things: "Escape, or die, or escape and then immediately die."

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

She led the young shepherd, with never a thought of Oenone left forlorn, straight to Sparta, where Menelaus and Helen received him graciously as their guest.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• herder
• herdsman