Terms of venery and collective nouns
Terms of venery and collective nouns can be a bit of fun and linguistic trivia.
Collective nouns are the names given for groups or a collection of people or things. We’re used to using these words in a general sense, like a herd of sheep or the crew of a ship.
A delightful quirk of the English language, terms of venery (hunting), or nouns of the collection as they are also known, are essentially linguistic leftovers from the Late Middle Ages. Many names for groups of animals were first recorded in specially published books for nobility, on the various aspects of noble life, specifically hunting.
Through the course of courtly fashion and the language naturally extending, collective nouns were perpetuated long after their usefulness and introduction.
Based on old folk tales, superstitions, and mythology, there are likely several different explanations for the origin of the term murder of crows. Scavengers in nature, crows, have a rich association with death and are seen by some as pests, leading to their less than favorable connection with death and fear. Loud, rambunctious, and very intelligent, crows have had a long history of being associated with the macabre.
These books were designed as manuals to instruct young aristocrats on social graces and activities, without embarrassing them. One of the most influential in surviving, The Book of Saint Albans, is credited with the first appearance of terms of venery (a medieval term for hunting). Among such useful hunting terms as a gaggle of geese and an exaltation of larks, geese found on land would be referred to as a gaggle, whereas a group of geese seen flying is often referred to as a skein or wedge depending on the formation. You can also find the wisdom of wombats and a crash of rhinos.
Crows are most commonly referred to as a murder, ravens have come to be known in a group as an unkindness or a conspiracy. While many of these terms have a basis in animal behavior, it couldn’t be more untrue for a group of ravens. Ravens are smart, cunning, and fun-loving birds are known to both display affection and mischievousness.
| Terms of venery | Animal | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| ambush | tiger | An ambush of tigers |
| army | ant, caterpillar, frog, herring | A army of ants/caterpillars/frogs/herring |
| array | hedgehog | An array of hedgehogs |
| aurora | polar bear | An aurora of polar bears |
| bale | turtle | A bale of turtles |
| band | coyote, jay | A band of coyotes/jays |
| barrel | monkey | A barrel of monkeys |
| barren | mule | A barren of mules |
| bask | crocodile | A bask of crocodiles |
| battery | barracuda | A battery of barracudas |
| bazaar | guillemot | A bazaar of guillemots |
| bed | clam, cockle, mussel, oyster | A bed of clams/cockles/mussels/oysters |
| bellowing | bullfinch | A bellowing of bullfinches |
| bevy | quail, swan | A bevy of quails/swans |
| bike | bee, hornet | A bike of (wild) bees/hornets |
| bind | salmon | A bind of salmon |
| bloat | hippopotamus | A bloat of hippopotamuses or hippopotami |
| bouquet | pheasant | A bouquet of pheasants |
| brace | gelding | A brace of geldings |
| brood | chicken, hen | A brood of chickens/hens |
| bunch | wildfowl | A bunch of wildfowls |
| bury | cony | A bury of conies |
| business | ferret | A business of ferrets |
| cackle | hyena | A cackle of hyenas |
| cadge | peregrine | A cadge of peregrines |
| caravan | camel | A caravan of camels |
| cast | falcon, hawk | A cast of falcons/hawks |
| cete | badger | A cete of badgers |
| chain | bobolink | A chain of bobolinks |
| charm | finch, goldfinch, hummingbird | A charm of finches/goldfinches/hummingbirds |
| chine | polecat | A chine of polecats |
| clan | hyena | A clan of hyenas |
| clew | worm | A clew of worms |
| cloud | bat, gnat, grasshopper, seafowl | A cloud of bats/gnats/grasshoppers/seafowls |
| cluster | spider | A cluster of spiders |
| clutter | cat | A clutter of cats |
| coalition | cheetah | A coalition of cheetahs |
| colony | ant, auk, avocet, badger, bat, beaver, chinchilla, gull, ibis, penguin, rabbit, rat, seagull, vole, vulture | A colony of ants/auks/avocets/badgers/bats/beavers/chinchillas/gulls/ibises/penguins/ rabbits/rats/seagulls/termites/voles/vultures |
| company | angelfish, archerfish, widgeon | A company of angelfish/archerfish/widgeons |
| congregation | crocodile, plover | A congregation of crocodiles/plovers |
| congress | salamander | A congress of salamanders |
| conspiracy | lemur, raven | A conspiracy of lemurs/ravens |
| convocation | eagle | A convocation of eagles |
| covert | coot | A covert of coots |
| covey | grouse, partridge, ptarmigan, woodcock | A covey of grouse/partridges/ptarmigans/woodcock |
| cowardice | cur | A cowardice of curs |
| crash | rhinoceros | A crash of rhinoceroses |
| crowd | redwing | A crowd of redwings |
| cry | hound | A cry of hounds |
| culture | bacteria | A culture of bacteria |
| dazzle | zebra | A dazzle of zebras |
| deceit | lapwing | A deceit of lapwings |
| den | snake | A den of snakes |
| descent | woodpecker | A descent of woodpeckers |
| destruction | cat, wildcat | A destruction of (wild) cats |
| dole | dove, turtle dove | A dole of doves/turtle doves |
| down | hare | A down of hares |
| drift | pig | A drift of pigs |
| drove | bullock, cattle, donkey, ox, pig, swine | A drove of bullocks/cattle/donkeys/oxen/pigs/swine |
| embarrassment | panda | An embarrassment of pandas |
| exaltation | lark | An exaltation of larks |
| family | beaver,sardine | A family of beavers/sardines |
| farrow | piglet | A farrow of piglets |
| fever | stingray | A fever of stingrays |
| flamboyance | famingo | A flamboyance of flamingos |
| flight | bird, cormorant, dragon, goshawk | A flight of birds (in the air)/cormorants/dragons/goshawks |
| fling | dunlin, sandpiper | A fling of dunlins/sandpipers |
| float | tuna | A float of tuna |
| flock | bird, bustard, louse, ostrich, pigeon, sheep, swift | A flock of birds/bustards/lice/ostriches/pigeons/sheep/swifts |
| flotilla | swordfish | A flotilla of swordfish |
| flush | duck | A flush of ducks |
| gaggle | goose | A gaggle of geese |
| gam | whale | A gam of whales |
| gang | buffalo, elk, weasel | A gang of buffaloes/elk/weasels |
| generation | viper | A generation of vipers |
| glaring | cat | A glaring of cats |
| glide | flying fish | A glide of flying fish |
| glint | goldfish | A glint of goldfish |
| glory | unicorn | A glory of unicorns |
| grind | blackfish, bottlenose whale | A grind of blackfish/bottlenose whales |
| gulp | swallow | A gulp of swallows |
| herd | antelope, bison, buffalo, camel, caribou, cattle, chamois, cow, curlew, deer, dinosaur, eland, elephant, elk, goat, guinea pig, hart, hartebeest, horse, ibex, impala, llama, manatee, moose, ox, reindeer, seahorse, walrus, wren, yak | A herd of antelope/bison/buffalos/camels/caribou/cattle/chamois/cows/curlews/deer/dinosaurs/elands/elephants/elk/goats/guinea pigs/harts/hartebeests/horses/ibexes/impalas/llamas/manatees/moose/oxen/reindeer/seahorses/walruses/wrens/yaks |
| hill | ruff | A hill of ruffs |
| hive | bee | A hive of bees |
| horde | gerbil, hamster | A horde of gerbils/hamsters |
| husk | hare, jackrabbit | A husk of hares/jackrabbits |
| implausibility | gnu, wildebeest | An implausibility of gnus/wildebeests |
| intrusion | cockroach | An intrusion of cockroaches |
| kindle | leveret | A kindle of leverets |
| knob | pintail, teal | A knob of pintails/teals |
| knot | toad | A knot of toads |
| labor | mole | A labor of moles |
| lamentation | swan | A lamentation of swans |
| leap | leopard | A leap of leopards |
| leash | fox, greyhound | A leash of foxes/greyhounds |
| litter | cub, kitten, pup | A litter of cubs/kittens/pups |
| mess | iguana | A mess of iguanas |
| mischief | mouse, rat | A mischief of mice/rats |
| mob | kangaroo | A mob of kangaroos |
| murder | crow | A murder of crows |
| murmuration | starling | A murmuration of starlings |
| muse | capon | A muse of capons |
| mustering | stork | A mustering of storks |
| mutation | thrush | A mutation of thrushes |
| nest | mouse, wasp | A nest of mice/wasps |
| nursery | raccoon | A nursery of raccoons |
| ostentation | peacock | An ostentation of peacocks |
| pace | ass | A pace of asses |
| pack | coyote, dog, hound, mongoose, mule, perch, stoat, wolf | A pack of coyotes/dogs/hounds/mongooses/mules/perch/stoats/wolves |
| pandemonium | parrot | A pandemonium of parrots |
| parade | elephant | A parade of elephants |
| parcel | hind, hog, linnet | A parcel of hinds/hogs/linnets |
| parliament | owl, rook | A parliament of owls/rooks |
| party | rainbow fish | A party of rainbow fish |
| plague | locust | A plague of locusts |
| plump | moorhen, waterfowl | A plump of moorhens/waterfowls |
| pod | dolphin, pelican, porpoise, seal, whale | A pod of dolphins/pelicans/porpoises/seals/whales |
| prickle | hedgehog, porcupine | A prickle of hedgehogs/porcupines |
| pride | lion, peacock | A pride of lions/peacocks |
| prowl | jaguar, smelt | A prowl of jaguars/smelts |
| quarrel | sparrow | A quarrel of sparrows |
| quiver | cobra | A quiver of cobras |
| rafter | turkey | A rafter of turkeys |
| rag | colt | A rag of colts |
| richness | marten | A richness of martens |
| romp | otter | A romp of otters |
| rout | snail, wolve | A rout of snails/wolves |
| school | butterfly fish, cod, dolphin, fish, porpoise, whale | A school of butterfly fish/cod/dolphins/fish/porpoises/whales |
| scourge | mosquito | A scourge of mosquitoes |
| scurry | chipmunk, squirrel | A scurry of chipmunks/squirrels |
| sedge | bittern, crane, heron | A sedge of bitterns/cranes/herons |
| shiver | shark | A shiver of sharks |
| shoal | bass, fish, mackerel, minnow, pilchard, shad, stickleback | A shoal of bass/fish/mackerel/minnows/pilchards/shads/sticklebacks |
| shrewdness | ape | A shrewdness of apes |
| siege | bittern | A siege of bitterns |
| skein | goose | A skein of (flying) geese |
| skulk | fox | A skulk of foxes |
| sleuth/sloth | bear | A sleuth of bears/A sloth of bears |
| smack | jellyfish | A smack of jellyfish |
| sneak | weasel | A sneak of weasels |
| sord | mallard | A sord of mallard |
| sounder | boar, pig, swine | A sounder of boars/(wild) pigs/(wild) swine |
| squad | squid | A squad of squid |
| stable | horse | A stable of horses |
| stare | owl | A stare of owls |
| stench | skunk | A stench of skunks |
| string | pony | A string of ponies |
| stud | mare | A stud of mares |
| swarm | bee, butterfly, dragonet fish, eel, fly, grasshopper, insect, locust | A swarm of bees/butterflies/dragonet fish/grasshoppers/insects/locusts |
| tiding | magpie | A tiding of magpies |
| tower | giraffe | A tower of giraffes |
| tribe | goat | A tribe of goats |
| trip | dotterel | A trip of dotterels |
| troop | baboon, dogfish, gorilla, kangaroo, monkey | A troop of baboons/dogfish/gorillas/kangaroos/monkeys |
| troupe | shrimp | A troupe of shrimp |
| wake | buzzard, vulture | A wake of buzzards/vultures |
| warren | rabbit | A warren of rabbits |
| watch | nightingale | A watch of nightingales |
| whoop | gorilla | A whoop of gorillas |
| wisdom | wombat | A wisdom of wombats |
| wisp | snipe | A wisp of snipes |