List of collective nouns by subject I-Z

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of collective nouns by subject, beginning from I to Z.

SUBJECT	COLLECTIVE TERM	STATUS
idiots	A thicket of idiots	Spurious
impediments	A vagary of impediments	Uncertain
infantry	A creche of infantry	Spurious
information	A wealth of information	√
irritants	A rash of irritants	√
islands	A chain of islands	√
islands	An archipelago of islands	√
jays	A party of jays	√
jays	A scold of jays	Uncertain
jays	A band of jays	√
jellyfish	A fluther of jellyfish
jellyfish	A smack of jellyfish	√
Jews	A minyan of Jews	Spurious
jewels	A cache of jewels	√
jugglers	A neverthriving of jugglers	√
kangaroos	A court of kangaroos[1]	Spurious
kangaroos	A mob of kangaroos	√
kangaroos	A troop of kangaroos	√
keys	A ring of keys	√
kite (bird)s	A brood of kites	√
kite (bird)s	An eyrie of kites	√
kite (bird)s	A roost of kites	√
kite (bird)s	A kettle of kites	√
kite (bird)s	A stooping of kites	√
kite (bird)s	A soar of kites	√
kite (bird)s	A string of kites	√
knights	A rout of knights	√
knights	A banner of knights	√
ladies	A bevy of ladies	√
lapwings	A desert of lapwings	√
lapwings	A deceit of lapwings	√
larks	An ascension of larks	√
larks	An exaltation of larks	√
lawyers	A murder of lawyers	√
leopards	A leap of leopards	√
leopards	A spot of leopards	Spurious
lepers	A colony of lepers	√
lions	A pride of lions	√
lions	A sowse of lions	√
lions	A sault of lions	√
locusts	A plague of locusts	√
lorries	A convoy of lorries	√
magpies	A tiding(s) of magpies	√
mallards	A sord of mallards	√
mallards	A lute of mallards	Uncertain
men	A band of (merry) men	√
managers	A circus of managers	Uncertain
maps	An atlas of maps	√
martens	A richness of martens	√
matrons	A riches of matrons	Uncertain
midges	A bite of midges	Uncertain
misers	A horde of misers	Spurious
mites	A mite of mites	Uncertain
moles	A labour of moles	√
moles	A company of moles	√
moles	A movement of moles	√
money	A wad of money	√
riches	An embarrassment of riches	Uncertain
winnings	A purse of winnings	√
monitors	A bank of monitors	√
monks	An abomination of monks [2]	Erroneous
monkeys	A circus of monkeys	Spurious
monkeys	A tribe of monkeys	√
monkeys	A troop of monkeys	√
monkeys	A mission of monkeys	√
mosquitoes	A scourge of mosquitoes	√
mountains	A range of mountains	√
mice	A nest of mice	√
mice	A mischief of mice	√
mudhen	A fleet of mudhen	Uncertain
mules	A barren of mules	√
mules	A rake of mules	√
munters	A montage of munters	√
natives	A tribe of natives	√
nightingales	A watch of nightingales	√
nuns	A superfluity of nuns	√
objects	A collection of objects	√
onlookers	A crowd of onlookers	√
otters	A bevy of otters	√
otters	A romp of otters	√
owls	A parliament of owls	√
owls	A stare of owls	√
oxen	A team of oxen	√
oxen	A yoke of oxen	√
oxen	A span of oxen	√
oysters	A bed of oysters	√
young oysters	A set of young oysters	√
pages	A chapter of pages	√
painters	An illusion of painters	Uncertain
paper	A ream of paper [3]	Spurious
parrots	A pandemonium of parrots	Uncertain
parrots	A company of parrots	√
partridges	A covey of partridges	√
partridges	A bew of partridges	Uncertain
peacocks	A pride of peacocks	√
peacocks	A muster of peacocks	√
peacocks	An ostentation of peacocks	√
pekingese	A pomp of pekinese	√
penguins	A parcel of penguins	Uncertain
penguins	A rookery of penguins	Spurious
penguins	A creche of penguins	√
penguins	A huddle of penguins	√
penguins	A colony of penguins	√
performers	A troupe of performers	√
pheasants	A covey of pheasants	√
pheasants	A nye of pheasants	√
pheasants	A bouquet of pheasants	√
physicians	A college of physicians	Spurious
hogs	A parcel of hogs	√
hogs	A drift of hogs	Uncertain
hogs	A passel of hogs	√
piglets	A farrow of piglets	√
piglets	A litter of piglets	√
piglets	A waltz of piglets	Brilliant
pigs	A drove of pigs	√
pigs	A herd of pigs	√
pigs	A sounder of pigs	√
pigeons	A kit of pigeons	Uncertain
pigeons	A loft of pigeons	√
plovers	A congregation of plovers	√
polar bears	An aurora of polar bears	Uncertain
polecats	A chine of polecats	√
porpoises	A school of porpoises	√
porpoises	A turmoil of porpoises	Uncertain
possum	A passel of possum	Uncertain
potage	A mess of potage	Uncertain
preachers	A converting of preachers	√
preachers	A pontification of preachers	Spurious
preachers	A pulpititude of preachers	Uncertain
prelates	A pontifica of prelates	Uncertain
pricks	A bunch of pricks	Uncertain
princes	A state of princes	Uncertain
professors emeriti	An ex cathedra of professors emeriti	√
prose	An anthology of prose	√
harlots	A heard of harlots	Uncertain
prostitutes	An anthology of pros [4]	see [1]
quail	A covey of quail	√
quail	A bevy of quail	√
conies	A bury of conies	√
kittens (rabbits)	A wrack of kittens (rabbits)	√
rabbits	A colony of rabbits	√
rabbits	A bury of rabbits	√
rabbits	A nest of rabbits	√
raccoons	A gaze of raccoons	√
rats	A pack of rats	√
rats	A colony of rats	√
rats	A swarm of rats	√
rats	A rabble of rats	√
ravens	An unkindness of ravens	√
ravens	A conspiracy of ravens	√
rebuttals	A quiver of rebuttals	√
referees	A decision of referees	√
rhinoceroses	A crash of rhinoceroses	√
rooks	A building of rooks	√
rooks	A clamour of rooks	√
rooks	A parliament of rooks	√
ruffs	A hill of ruffs	√
salmon	A run of salmon	√
salmon	A bind of salmon	√
sandpipers	A fling of sandpipers	√
satellites	A constellation of satellites	Uncertain
Scots	A disworship of Scots	√
Scots	A fifth of Scots	Spurious
sea fowl	A cloud of sea fowl	√
seagulls	A flock of seagulls	√
seals	A spring of seals	√
seals	A pod of seals	√
seals	A plum of seals	Uncertain
Security Engineers	A scare of Security Engineers	Uncertain
senators	A house of senators	√
servants	An obeisance of servants	Uncertain
sharks	A shiver of sharks	Uncertain
lambs	A fall of lambs	√
sheep	A flock of sheep	√
sheep	A trip of sheep	√
sheldrakes	A doading of sheldrakes	√
sailors	A crew of sailors	√
ships	A flotilla of ships	√
ships	A fleet of ships	√
ships	An armada of warships	√
skeletons	A drudge of skeletons	Uncertain
snails	A rout of snails	√
snakes	A den of snakes	√
snakes	A bed of snakes	√
snakes	A pit of snakes	√
snakes	A nest of snakes	√
snakes	A slither of snakes	√
snipe	A walk of snipe	√
snipe	A wisp of snipe	√
soldiers	A company of soldiers	√
soldiers	A brigade of soldiers	√
soldiers	A squad of soldiers	√
soldiers	A platoon of soldiers	√
soldiers	A division of soldiers	√
sparrows	A ubiquity of sparrows	√
sparrows	A quarrel of sparrows	√
sparrows	A host of sparrows	√
spiders	A clutter of spiders	√
spiders	A cluster of spiders	√
squirrels	A dray of squirrels	√
stairs	A flight of stairs	√
stars	A galaxy of stars	√
starlings	A murmuration of starlings	√
stem cells	A swerd of stem cells	√
sticks	A faggot of sticks	√
stick insects	A bushel of stick insects	√
storks	A muster of storks	√
storks	A phalanx of storks	Uncertain
students	A class of students	√
students	A cohort of students	√
swallows	A flight of swallows	√
swallows	A gulp of swallows	Spurious
swans (flying)	A wedge of swans (flying)	√
swans	A gaggle of swans	√
swans	A whiteness of swans	Uncertain
swans	A bevy of swans	√
swans	A bank of swans	√
swans	An eyrar of swans	Uncertain
swans	A garggle of swans	√
swine	A sounder of swine	√
swine	A drift of swine	√
submarines	A pack of submarines	√
tasks	An agenda of tasks	√
teal	A spring of teal	√
teal	A diving of teal	√
tennis games	A set of tennis games	√
tests	A battery of tests	√
thieves	A den of thieves	√
thrushes	A mutation of thrushes	√
tigers	A streak of tigers	√
tigers	An ambush of tigers	√
toads	A knot of toads	√
tourists	A flock of tourists	√
trees	A grove of trees	√
trees	A thicket of trees	√
trees	A stand of trees	√
troops	A parel of troops	√
trout	A hover of trout	√
trucks	A convoy of trucks	√
turkeys	A lurkey of turkeys	Uncertain
turkeys	A rafter of turkeys	√
turkeys	A raffle of turkeys	√
turtles	A turn of turtles	√
turtles	A dule of turtles	√
turtles	A bale of turtles	√
turtledoves	A pitying of turtledoves	√
unicorns	A blessing of unicorns	√
vampires	A cloak of vampires	Uncertain
vicaries (vicars)	A prudence of vicaries (vicars)	√
vipers	A nest of vipers	√
wagers	A book of wagers	√
walruses	A herd of walruses	√
walruses	An ugly of walruses	√
waterfowl	A plump of waterfowl	√
waterfowl	A knob of waterfowl	Uncertain
weasels	A sneak of weasels	√
whales	A school of whales	√
whales	A herd of whales	√
whales	A pod of whales	√
whales	A gam of whales	√
widgeon	A coil of widgeon	√
witches	A coven of witches	√
wolves	A pack of wolves	√
wolves	A rout of wolves	√
women	A gaggle of women	Uncertain
woodpeckers	A descent of woodpeckers	√
worms	A clew of worms	Uncertain
worshippers	A congregation of worshippers	√
yeomen	A fellowship of yeomen	√
zebra	A zeal of zebra	√
zebra	A herd of zebra	√
zombie	A plague of zombies	Uncertain

[edit] Notes

1. ^ The phrase "A court of kangaroos" is frequently thought to be legitimate, given the (quite unrelated) expression "a kangaroo court". There is no known evidence of its legitimacy as a collective noun, however.
2. ^ The phrase "An abomination of monks" is frequently cited as a legitimate collective noun for monks. It is actually a misinterpretation of the title of a protestant treatise written by Jan Hus around 1400. A gaggle of geese in Czech would be a 'hejno hus.'
3. ^ A "ream of paper" - A ream is traditionally defined as 480 sheets (twenty quires of twenty-four sheets each); the more usual modern count is 500 sheets to the ream. This is more a measure of paper than a collective noun, however.
4. ^ An "anthology of prostitutes" is a pun on "anthology of prose", as "pro" is a common contraction for prostitute in Britain and elsewhere.

SWANS LAMENTATION a dazzel of zebra

[edit] See also

• Collective noun
• List of collective nouns
• List of collective nouns by subject
  • List of collective nouns by subject A-H