HERD

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does herd mean? 

• HERD (noun)
  The noun HERD has 3 senses:

1. a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans

2. a group of wild mammals of one species that remain together: antelope or elephants or seals or whales or zebra

3. a crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things

  Familiarity information: HERD used as a noun is uncommon.

• HERD (verb)
  The verb HERD has 3 senses:

1. cause to herd, drive, or crowd together

2. move together, like a herd

3. keep, move, or drive animals

  Familiarity information: HERD used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HERD (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("herd" is a kind of...):

animal group (a group of animals)

Meronyms (members of "herd"):

Bos taurus; cattle; cows; kine; oxen (domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age)

sheep (woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "herd"):

remuda (the herd of horses from which those to be used the next day are chosen)

Derivation:

herd (keep, move, or drive animals)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A group of wild mammals of one species that remain together: antelope or elephants or seals or whales or zebra

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("herd" is a kind of...):

animal group (a group of animals)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "herd"):

gam (a herd of whales)

Derivation:

herd (keep, move, or drive animals)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

herd; ruck

Context example:

the children resembled a fairy herd

Hypernyms ("herd" is a kind of...):

concourse; multitude; throng (a large gathering of people)

Derivation:

herd (move together, like a herd)

herd (cause to herd, drive, or crowd together)

• HERD (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they herd    ... he / she / it herds   
Past simple: herded   
Past participle: herded   
-ing form: herding   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to herd, drive, or crowd together

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

crowd; herd

Context example:

We herded the children into a spare classroom

Hypernyms (to "herd" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "herd"):

overcrowd (cause to crowd together too much)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

herd (a crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things)

herder (someone who drives a herd)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move together, like a herd

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "herd" is one way to...):

crowd; crowd together (to gather together in large numbers)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

The crowds herd in the streets

Derivation:

herd (a crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Keep, move, or drive animals

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

Who will be herding the cattle when the cowboy dies?

Hypernyms (to "herd" is one way to...):

keep (raise)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "herd"):

wrangle (herd and care for)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

herd (a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans)

herd (a group of wild mammals of one species that remain together: antelope or elephants or seals or whales or zebra)

herder (someone who drives a herd)

 Context examples 

Nevertheless, pure instinct prompts many of these dogs to herd their owners, especially the children of the family.

(Herding Breed, NCI Thesaurus)

The Catahoula Leopard Dog is a herding dog with a short, single coat and a deep chest.

(Catahoula Leopard Dog, NCI Thesaurus)

How could he, herding with such cattle, ever become worthy of her?

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“Here goes,” I said, stepping out; but I confess my heart was in my mouth as I thought of going through the heart of that monstrous herd.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

This favourite is hated by the whole herd, and therefore, to protect himself, keeps always near the person of his leader.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The Briard is a large, muscular herding dog with a coarse long, slightly wavy double coat.

(Briard, NCI Thesaurus)

The Bearded Collie is a medium-sized herding dog with a shaggy coat.

(Bearded Collie, NCI Thesaurus)

EXAMPLE(S): flock of ducks, litter of mice, herd of cows

(Biologic Entity Group, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

"I would think that we would try to get our numbers up to one or two hundred before we do that so we have a nice strong herd."

(Northern Arapaho Tribe welcomes buffalo herd in Wyoming, United States, Wikinews)

By 2008, 350 horses lived there in 20 to 30 herds.

(Belly up to the bamboo buffet: Pandas vs. horses, NSF)