herd

1
[ hurd ]
See synonyms for: herdherdedherding on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a number of animals kept, feeding, or traveling together; drove; flock: a herd of cattle;a herd of sheep;a herd of zebras.

  2. Sometimes Disparaging. a large group of people: The star was mobbed by a herd of autograph seekers.

  1. any large quantity: a herd of bicycles.

  2. the herd, the common people; the masses; the rabble: He had no opinions of his own, but simply followed the herd.

verb (used without object)
  1. to unite or go in a herd; assemble or associate as a herd.

Idioms about herd

  1. ride herd on, to have charge or control of; maintain discipline over: He rode herd on 40 students in each class.

Origin of herd

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English heord; cognate with Gothic hairda, German Herde

synonym study For herd

1. See flock1.

Grammar notes for herd

Other words for herd

Words that may be confused with herd

Words Nearby herd

Other definitions for herd (2 of 2)

herd2
[ hurd ]

noun
  1. a person in charge of a herd (usually used in combination): a cowherd;a goatherd;a shepherd.

verb (used with object)
  1. to tend, drive, or lead (cattle, sheep, etc.).

  2. to conduct or drive (a group of people) to a destination: The teacher herded the children into the classroom.

Origin of herd

2
First recorded before 900; Middle English herd(e), hirde, Old English hierde, hirde, hyrde; cognate with Gothic hairdeis, German Hirt(e); derivative of herd1

Other words for herd

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use herd in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for herd (1 of 2)

herd1

/ (hɜːd) /


noun
  1. a large group of mammals living and feeding together, esp a group of cattle, sheep, etc

  2. often derogatory a large group of people

  1. derogatory the large mass of ordinary people

verb
  1. to collect or be collected into or as if into a herd

Origin of herd

1
Old English heord; related to Old Norse hjörth, Gothic hairda, Old High German herta, Greek kórthus troop

British Dictionary definitions for herd (2 of 2)

herd2

/ (hɜːd) /


noun
    • archaic, or dialect a man or boy who tends livestock; herdsman

    • (in combination): goatherd; swineherd

verb(tr)
  1. to drive forwards in a large group

  2. to look after (livestock)

Origin of herd

2
Old English hirde; related to Old Norse hirthir, Gothic hairdeis, Old High German hirti, Old Saxon hirdi, herdi; see herd 1

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with herd

herd

see ride herd on.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.