FLOCK Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

flock

[ flok ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a number of animals of one kind, especially sheep, goats, or birds, that keep or feed together or are herded together.
Synonyms: , , , , , , , , ,
a large number of people; crowd.
Synonyms: , ,
a large group of things:
a flock of letters to answer.
(in New Testament and ecclesiastical use)
1. the Christian church in relation to Christ.
2. a single congregation in relation to its pastor.
Archaic. a band or company of persons.

verb (used without object)

to gather or go in a flock or crowd:
They flocked around the football hero.

flock

[ flok ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a lock or tuft of wool, hair, cotton, etc.
(sometimes used with a plural verb) wool refuse, shearings of cloth, old cloth torn to pieces, or the like, for upholstering furniture, stuffing mattresses, etc.
Also called flocking. (sometimes used with a plural verb) finely powdered wool, cloth, etc., used for producing a velvetlike pattern on wallpaper or cloth or for coating metal.
floc ( def 1 ).

verb (used with object)

to stuff with flock, as a mattress.
to decorate or coat with flock, as wallpaper, cloth, or metal.

flock

/ �ڱ�ɒ�� /

noun

a group of animals of one kind, esp sheep or birds
a large number of people; crowd
a body of Christians regarded as the pastoral charge of a priest, a bishop, the pope, etc
rare.
a band of people; group

verb

to gather together or move in a flock
to go in large numbers
people flocked to the church

flock

/ �ڱ�ɒ�� /

noun

a tuft, as of wool, hair, cotton, etc
1. waste from fabrics such as cotton, wool, or other cloth used for stuffing mattresses, upholstered chairs, etc
2. ( as modifier )
  flock mattress
very small tufts of wool applied to fabrics, wallpaper, etc, to give a raised pattern
another word for floccule

verb

tr to fill, cover, or ornament with flock

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Grammar Note

See collective noun.

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Derived Forms

ˈ�ڱ��ǳ��, adjective

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

�ڱ��ǳ��l�� adjective

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of flock¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun flok, Old English floc; cognate with Old Norse flokkr; the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of flock²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English flok, from Old French floc, from Latin floccus floccus

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of flock¹

Old English flocc ; related to Old Norse flokkr crowd, Middle Low German vlocke

Origin of flock²

C13: from Old French floc , from Latin floccus ; probably related to Old High German floccho down, Norwegian flugsa snowflake

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Synonym Study

Flock, drove, herd, pack refer to a company of animals, often under the care or guidance of someone. Flock is the popular term, which applies to groups of animals, especially of sheep or goats, and companies of birds: This lamb is the choicest of the flock. A flock of wild geese flew overhead. Drove is especially applied to a number of oxen, sheep, or swine when driven in a group: A drove of oxen was taken to market. A large drove of swine filled the roadway. Herd is usually applied to large animals such as cattle, originally meaning those under the charge of someone; but by extension, to other animals feeding or driven together: a buffalo herd; a herd of elephants. Pack applies to a number of animals kept together or keeping together for offense or defense: a pack of hounds kept for hunting; a pack of wolves. As applied to people, drove, herd, and pack carry a contemptuous implication.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

These groups have been flocking to Dallas, Houston, Atlanta or Miami rather than California in search of opportunity.

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He said: "I didn't do the job on safeguarding... We're meant to be shepherds of the flock, that's one of the expressions Jesus uses... and I failed on that."

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When the toddler disappeared, dozens of journalists flocked to Haut-Vernet, often outnumbering the 25 residents of the tiny Alpine hamlet.

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The spokesperson said the single infected sheep had been "humanely culled" and no further cases among the flock were found after "extensive testing".

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Though the avian flu, or H5N1, has circulated among American poultry flocks for years, an outbreak starting in 2022 has wreaked havoc on farms, killing more than 156 million birds and sending egg prices skyrocketing.

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