herd
noun
\ ˈhərd
\
\
Definition of herd
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a typically large group of animals of one kind kept together under human control
a herd of cattle
b
: a congregation of gregarious wild animals
herds of antelopes
2a(1)
: a group of people usually having a common bond
a herd of tourists
(2)
: a large assemblage of like things
herds of cars
b
: the undistinguished masses : crowd
isolate the individual prophets from the herd— Norman Cousins
herd
verb
herded;
herding;
herds
Definition of herd (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: to gather, lead, or drive as if in a herd (see herd entry 1 sense 1a)
herded the children into the car
b
: to keep or move (animals) together
dogs that are trained to herd sheep
2
: to place in a group
herd us with their kindred fools— Jonathan Swift
1
: to assemble or move in a herd (see herd entry 1)
herding onto the subway
2
: to place oneself in a group : associate
it is desirable that young noblemen should herd— Sir Walter Scott
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Other Words from herd
Noun
herdlike
\ ˈhərd-ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of herd in a Sentence
Noun
The herd grazed peacefully in the pasture. A herd of shoppers waited anxiously for the store to open.Verb
The horses were herded into the corral. We left the hotel and were herded onto a bus. They herded the students into the auditorium. The commuters herded onto the train.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The herds of Sweetwater Valley Farm cows number in the hundreds. — Mary Ann Anderson, chicagotribune.com, "Old-fashioned road trip leads to East Tennessee culinary gems," 30 Aug. 2019 The San Francisco Zoo and Gardens, which cares for the bison herd, announced Brunhilda’s death Friday after a necropsy, according to The San Francisco Chronicle . — San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Francisco bison named Brunhilda dies," 19 Aug. 2019 The Portuguese government is now enlisting an unusual team—or herd, rather—to prevent the burns: goats. — Rachael Lallensack, Smithsonian, "Could Goats Help Solve Portugal’s Wildfire Crisis?," 19 Aug. 2019 In the summer, the weather hovers around a balmy 50 degrees, and caribou herds, sheep, and wild foxes can be seen. — Jae Thomas, Marie Claire, "The Best National Parks for Every Kind of Vacation," 15 Aug. 2019 Connye, who was part of the Montgomery zoo’s giraffe herd, did not show any symptoms of illness in the days and weeks before her death, the zoo said. — Howard Koplowitz | [email protected], al, "Connye, 4-year-old giraffe at Montgomery Zoo, dies unexpectedly," 13 Aug. 2019 The rest of the herd, who were apparently only out for themselves, left before this patch of land became an island — abandoning Hillary, as the locals have nicknamed the burro, all to her lonesome amid the rising waters. — Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, "Newsletter: Orange County officially has more Democrats than Republicans," 8 Aug. 2019 On a coastline dotted with legendary wild horses, Lindeza, the matriarch of the Banker Pony herd on Ocracoke Island, stands out. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "Meet the Outer Banks’ Most Unique Wild Horse," 5 Aug. 2019 The family raises cattle and brings with it a large herd, and the family quickly befriends Hatidze. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "“Honeyland,” Reviewed: A Gripping, Frustrating Documentary About a Beekeeper’s Fragile Isolation," 1 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Think of an attempt to herd cats…If that sounds like a fun challenge, then go for it. — Jeff Reina, Houston Chronicle, "GHBA Remodelers Council: Dodge DIY remodeling disasters by hiring a pro," 14 July 2019 According to sources in the British Ministry of Defence, the Montrose drove off three Iranian gunboats that sought to herd the tanker into Iranian waters in or near the Straits of Hormuz. — Sam Kiley, CNN, "Iran shows growing fury in the Gulf. It really is desperate to talk," 11 July 2019 And those who are too witless to understand, or pretend witlessness so as to herd others for partisan reasons, do no service to their nation. — John Kass, Twin Cities, "John Kass: A.G. Bill Barr must find true reasons for Trump/Russia probe," 27 June 2019 There’s a covered terrace where families with young children seemed to get herded, a bit humid for summertime. — Michael Mayo, sun-sentinel.com, "Review: The Terrace Grill at the Dalmar in Fort Lauderdale is a good-looking disappointment," 20 June 2019 And those who are too witless to understand, or pretend witlessness so as to herd others for partisan reasons, do no service to their nation. — John Kass, chicagotribune.com, "Column: AG Bill Barr must find true reasons for Trump/Russia probe," 19 June 2019 To stem both poaching and human-wildlife conflict, park officials conducted regular helicopter drives to herd ungulates from adjacent fields back into the park. — Benedict Moran, National Geographic, "Rwanda's war nearly destroyed this park. Now it's coming back.," 7 May 2019 Given that pigs aren't exactly easy to herd, this also means that there probably was some ritual aspect to the pig feasts, important enough to drive early Welsh and Scottish settlers back to the south of modern-day England. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Study: Ancient Stonehenge Pig Roasts Brought in People From All Over Britain," 13 Mar. 2019 Hackettstown police officers responded to the scene and were able to herd up to 60 animals into their pen. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Lone goat may be to blame for New Jersey escape last week," 13 Aug. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'herd.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for herd
herd
noun
English Language Learners Definition of herd
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a group of animals that live or are kept together
: a large group of people
: common people : people as a group
herd
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of herd (Entry 2 of 2)
: to gather and move (a group of animals)
: to move (people) in a group
: to form a group or move as a group
See the full definition for herd in the English Language Learners Dictionary