herd1

[hurd] /hɜrd/
noun
1.
a number of animals kept, feeding, or traveling together; drove; flock:
a herd of cattle; a herd of sheep; a herd of zebras.
2.
Sometimes Disparaging. a large group of people:
The star was mobbed by a herd of autograph seekers.
3.
any large quantity:
a herd of bicycles.
4.
the herd, the common people; masses; rabble:
He had no opinions of his own, but simply followed the herd.
verb (used without object)
5.
to unite or go in a herd; assemble or associate as a herd.
Idioms
6.
ride herd on, to have charge or control of; maintain discipline over:
He rode herd on 40 students in each class.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English; Old English heord; cognate with Gothic hairda, German Herde
Synonyms
1. See flock1 . 2. crowd, mob.
Usage note
See collective noun.

herd2

[hurd] /hɜrd/
noun
1.
a herdsman (usually used in combination):
a cowherd; a goatherd; a shepherd.
verb (used with object)
2.
to tend, drive, or lead (cattle, sheep, etc.).
3.
to conduct or drive (a group of people) to a destination:
The teacher herded the children into the classroom.
Origin
before 900; Middle English herd(e), hirde, Old English hierde; cognate with Gothic hairdeis, German Hirt(e); derivative of herd1
Synonyms
2. guard, protect, watch.
Examples from the web for herd
  • But many newspapers have a surprisingly large, if dwindling, herd of paying customers.
  • If you have a shepherd, that shepherd wants to herd.
  • The lion approached the herd of gazelles slowly while hidden by a large termite mound.
  • For her doctoral dissertation, she developed a robotic shepherd capable of corralling a herd of twenty robots.
  • Keep herd sizes large enough to maintain the future health of the herds.
  • In this connection, it is helpful to refer to an important bit of economic theory about herd behavior.
  • The water hole is less than a mile away now, and everyone in the herd is looking forward to a good, long drink.
  • Every alp also has a resident herd of pigs-which generally don't make it into those alpine travel posters.
  • Waving hats and ropes, the riders whoop and holler as they bring the herd together.
  • It snapped, allowing the grateful elephant to head off after his herd.
British Dictionary definitions for herd

herd1

/hɜːd/
noun
1.
a large group of mammals living and feeding together, esp a group of cattle, sheep, etc
2.
(often derogatory) a large group of people
3.
(derogatory) the large mass of ordinary people
verb
4.
to collect or be collected into or as if into a herd
Word Origin
Old English heord; related to Old Norse hjörth, Gothic hairda, Old High German herta, Greek kórthus troop

herd2

/hɜːd/
noun
1.
  1. (archaic or dialect) a man or boy who tends livestock; herdsman
  2. (in combination): goatherd, swineherd
verb (transitive)
2.
to drive forwards in a large group
3.
to look after (livestock)
Word Origin
Old English hirde; related to Old Norse hirthir, Gothic hairdeis, Old High German hirti, Old Saxon hirdi, herdi; see herd1
Word Origin and History for herd
n.

Old English heord "herd, flock," from Proto-Germanic *herdo- (cf. Old Norse hjorð, Old High German herta, German Herde, Gothic hairda "herd"), from PIE *kerdh- "a row, group, herd" (cf. Sanskrit śárdhah "herd, troop," Old Church Slavonic čreda "herd," Greek korthys "heap," Lithuanian kerdžius "shepherd"). Herd instinct in psychology is first recorded 1908.

v.

mid-13c., "to watch over or herd (livestock);" of animals, "to gather in a herd, to form a flock," late 14c., from herd (n.). Related: Herded; herding.

Slang definitions & phrases for herd

herd

Related Terms

ride herd on someone


herd in the Bible

Gen. 13:5; Deut. 7:14. (See CATTLE.)

Idioms and Phrases with herd

herd

see: ride herd on