shepherd

¹

[shep-erd]

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.

verb (used with object)

1. to tend or guard as a shepherd.

   to shepherd the flock.

2. to watch over carefully.

Shepherd

²

[shep-erd]

noun

1. a male given name.

shepherd

¹

/ 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

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

noun

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of shepherd¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of shepherd¹

from Old English sceaphirde. See _sheep , _herd ²

Example Sentences

She doesn’t like to rely on digital notifications to shepherd her through the day and is more likely to remember appointments she puts on the calendar herself.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The three stood swaying on their feet, eyes half closed, and sleepwalked downstairs with Penelope shepherding them from behind.

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Penelope shepherded the three Incorrigibles away from the gate and across the plaza, until she spotted an empty park bench in a quiet spot.

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When he stumbles upon the hut of a shepherd who flees at the sight of him, he “greedily devoured the remnants of the shepherd’s breakfast, which consisted of bread, cheese, milk and wine.”

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They adopted a massive German shepherd named Eck von Heinerberg, and the three of them crowded into the front seat of the sports car for epic drives through the Turkish countryside.

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Related Words

• herder 
• herdsman