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The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for March 5, 1999
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bevy [n. BEV-ee]
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Bevy is a collective noun, used to name a group of things. Usually, a
bevy is composed of living things that are somehow beautiful or
pleasing. For example, you might see a bevy of quails or a bevy of
beautiful ladies.
The ultimate origin of the word is not known, but it goes back at
least to the fifteenth century. Spencer used it in his "Shepherd's
Calendar," where he referred to a "bevie of ladies bright."
There are many collective nouns. Here are more:
flock: animals, especially sheep or birds; from Old English floc
herd: four-footed herbivores (cows, horses, buffalo, elephants)
drove: a herd or flock being driven to a new location
pack: wolves, dogs, or grouse
gaggle: geese, from Middle English gagelen (to cackle)
pod: marine mammals (whales, dolphins, seals)
school: aquatic animals, especially fish, swimming together
muster: peacocks; from Latin monstrare (to show), from monere (to
warn)
cete [seet]: badgers; from Latin coetus (a coming together)
exaltation: larks; from Latin exaltare, from ex- (up) and altus (high)
nide: pheasants; from Latin nidus (nest)
pride: lions; from Old English prud (proud)
Test your knowledge of collective nouns at:
http://www.LearningKingdom.com/gaggle/
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