List of collective nouns by subject I-Z

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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
irish A thirst of Irish
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
Uncertain
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
Keyboards A qwerty of keyboards
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
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 steal of magpies
Uncertain
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
noobs A baffle of noobs
Spurious
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
pearls A string of pearls
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
platypi A pile of platypi
pigs A drove of pigs
pigs A fleet 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
Spurious
prose An anthology of prose
harlots A heard of harlots
Uncertain
prostitute A lust of prostitutes
Uncertain
prostitutes An anthology of pros [4]
see [1]
puppies A litter of puppies
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 burrow of rabbits
rabbits A warren 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
sales managers An inefficiency of sales managers
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
Security Guards A doork of Security Guards
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
starfish A galaxy of starfish
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
trekkies A dork of trekkies
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 flock of turkeys
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 kiss of vampires
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
weapons engineers A brilliance of WEOs[5]
Uncertain
weasels A sneak of weasels
Weston Probsts A poon of Weston Probsts
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
zebra A dazzle of zebra
zombie A horde of zombies
Uncertain
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.
  5. ^ This Collective Noun relates to Navy Weapons and Electronics Engineering Officers (WEO NZ/UK or WEEO Aust.).


[edit] See also