A bench of bishops/magistrates.
(Presumably because they used to sit on one. These days they get
a comfortable chair each)
A board of directors/trustees.
A herd of cows/cattle/bison/elephants
ar just about any large animal that goes about in large groups.
A flock of sheep/goats/birds.
(the kinds of birds which come together in large numbers starlings,
plovers, fieldfares etc. Biologists note that ovidae and capridae species
are mainly concerned. Just to confuse you, a man who looks after a flock
of sheep is a shepherd )
A gaggle of geese.
(only used foe geeses and only when they are on the ground - see
next for when they take off.)
A skein of geese
or ducks.
(Used when they are flying, typically in a "V" formation.)
A pack of wolves
and by extension, supporters, journalists, demonstrators...
A swarm of bees/wasps/hornets.
A rabble of butterflies.
A brace of partridge/grouse
or any gamebird or game fish.
(A brace is two. the term is used by people who shoot or fish. If
an English sportsman tells you he has shot two and a half brace of partridge,
he has five in his bag! Notice the plural of brace is brace and you
do not use the plural of the animal: it is two brace of partridge, a
brace and a half of grouse etc)
A covey of partridge/grouse/quail.
(is a sort of family group of the gallinaceous birds - around 5
- 15 of them)
A charm of finches.
(Not many people know this, and you have to be able to distinguish
a finch from other small birds however a charm of goldfinches, a small
but dazzling cloud of yellow and red is indeed a charming sight in winter.
A shoal of fish.
A school of whales/porpoises.
A pack of hounds.
(Hounds are dogs which hunt (fox, deer, hare) in a group. They are
not gundogs like retrievers, labradors, spaniels.)
A pride of lions.
A troop of monkeys/soldiers/scouts.
A bed of oysters
(in the sea) of flowers (growing in a specially prepared plot in a park
or garden).
A host of angels/sparrows.
A mob of people.
(demonstrators, especially if in an aggressive mood)
A troupe of acrobats/minstrels.
A team of athletes
- by extension salesmen etc.
A staff of employees.
(Often used with "on" "John was on our staff for
five years but then he went to Unilever)
A gang of labourers.
(When used for youngsters it is somewhat perjorative "We were
surrounded by a gang of kids all asking for money. A gang of thieves/robbers/kidnappers)
A tribe of natives.
(A distinct ethnic group)
A cortege of
mourners.
(Only used for funerals)
A posse of police/sheriffs.
(Who have come together to chase a particular criminal or gang)
A crew of sailors/airmen
etc
(All on the same boat/plane/tank/spaceship ... any vessel)
A coven of witches.
(Who have congregated for some purpose or celebration - Covens are
supposed to gather on Walpurgis night - The witches on the heath in
"Macbeth" are a fine example of a coven..)
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