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shepherd

[ shep-erd ]
/ ˈʃɛp ərd /
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noun
verb (used with object)
to tend or guard as a shepherd: to shepherd the flock.
to watch over carefully.
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of shepherd

before 1050; Middle English shepherde,Old English scēphyrde.See sheep, herd2

OTHER WORDS FROM shepherd

Other definitions for shepherd (2 of 2)

Shepherd
[ shep-erd ]
/ ˈʃɛp ərd /

noun
a male given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use shepherd in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shepherd (1 of 2)

shepherd
/ (ˈʃɛpəd) /

noun
a person employed to tend sheepFemale equivalent: shepherdess Related adjectives: bucolic, pastoral
a person, such as a clergyman, who watches over or guides a group of people
verb (tr)
to guide or watch over in the manner of a shepherd
Australian rules football to prevent opponents from tackling (a member of one's own team) by blocking their path

Word Origin for shepherd

from Old English sceaphirde. See sheep, herd ²

British Dictionary definitions for shepherd (2 of 2)

Shepherd

noun
astronomy a small moon of (e.g.) Saturn orbiting close to the rings and partly responsible for ring stability
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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