99+ Examples of Collective Nouns You Should Know in English

Ever wondered why we say: a herd of cows, a team of players, a pack of wolves and many more? Well, they all come under a noun called collective nouns. They are used when we want to talk about a group of people, animals or things. Each animal or thing is referred to with a different name. Surprisingly, even after coming in a group, they do not come under plural nouns. To understand how they are used, here is a blog which lists 100 examples of collective nouns.

Must Read: Nouns: Definition and Examples

What are Collective Nouns?

Collective Nouns refer to a collection or a group of people, animals or things. Common words like ‘herd, array and group’ are collective noun examples. 

Here are a few examples of collective nouns.

• The party will have to rethink its strategy to win the next election. 
• The herd of cows were grazing in the field. 
• The pack of wolves howled at the moon.
• A school of fish swam together in the ocean.
• The pack of wolves went hunting last night.

Rules for Collective Nouns

There are two rules that you must follow when working with collective nouns.

Rule 1: Use a singular verb when thinking of the group as a whole.

Example: The girl (noun) waits (verb) patiently for her teacher to arrive.

Rule 2: Use a plural verb when talking about a group of people. 

Example: The class (noun) begin (verb) their homework while waiting for the announcements. 

100 Examples of Collective Nouns

Here are 100 examples of collective nouns which will give you a fair idea.

Collective Nouns for Animals

A murder of crows	A herd of cattle
A pack of wolves	A pride of lions
A gaggle of geese	A school of fish
A pod of dolphins	A flock of birds
A swarm of bees	A troop of kangaroos
A parliament of owls	A colony of ants
A sleuth of bears	A crash of rhinos
A dazzle of zebras	A clowder of cats
A colony of penguins	A troop of monkeys
A congress of baboons	A bloat of hippos
A litter of puppies	A team of oxen
A string of horses	A stud of horses
A group of birds	A hive of bees
Flight of birds	A haul of fish
A shoal of fish	A pack of wolves
A clutch of eggs	A pride of peacocks
A convocation of eagles	A skulk of foxes
A business of ferrets	A troop of squirrels
A sounder of wild boar	A congress of baboons
A shrewdness of apes	A sleuth of bears

Collective Nouns for People

A band of musicians	Class of students
Team of athletes	A group of friends
Crew of sailors	Choir of singers
Crowd of spectators	Assembly of delegates
Staff of employees	A committee of experts
Troupe of actors	Congregation of worshippers
Gang of kids	Squad of police officers
Team of researchers	Horde of tourists
Board of directors	Ensemble of musicians
Posse of cowboys	Cast of characters
Company of soldiers	Battalion of soldiers
Mob of protesters	Team of chefs
Committee of volunteers	Congregation of mourners
Crew of firefighters	Cast of characters
Assembly of parents	Troop of scouts

Collective Nouns for Things

A stack of papers	A bouquet of flowers
A fleet of ships	A pile of books
A collection of art	A cluster of grapes
A range of mountains	A set of tools
A pack of cards	A fleet of cars
A set of tools	A row of houses
A herd of cattle	A library of books
A collection of stamps	A fleet of bicycles
A bundle of sticks	A string of pearls
A series of events	A collection of antiques
A fleet of planes	A forest of trees
A row of books	A bundle of hay
A network of computers	A suite of software
A range of prices	A battery of tests
A suite of furniture	A collection of coins

Check Related Blogs!

Types of Nouns You Must Know	Noun, Verb, Adjective, & Adverb
Compound Nouns	How to Use Nouns and Prepositions Together
Abstract Noun	Plural Nouns
Countable and Uncountable Nouns	Abstract Noun

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