herd Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans
  2. noun a group of wild mammals of one species that remain together: antelope or elephants or seals or whales or zebra
  3. noun a crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things
    ruck.
    • his brilliance raised him above the ruck
    • the children resembled a fairy herd
  4. verb cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
    crowd.
    • We herded the children into a spare classroom
  5. verb move together, like a herd
  6. verb keep, move, or drive animals
    • Who will be herding the cattle when the cowboy dies?

WordNet

Herd adjective
Definitions
  1. Haired. Obs. Chaucer.
Herd noun
Etymology
OE. herd, heord, AS. heord; akin to OHG. herta,G. herde, Icel. hjör, Sw. hjord, Dan. hiord, Goth. haírda; cf. Skr. çardha troop, host.
Definitions
  1. A number of beasts assembled together; as, a herd of horses, oxen, cattle, camels, elephants, deer, or swine; a particular stock or family of cattle.
    The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea. Gray.
    ✍ Herd is distinguished from flock, as being chiefly applied to the larger animals. A number of cattle, when driven to market, is called a drove.
  2. A crowd of low people; a rabble.
    But far more numerous was the herd of such Who think too little and who talk too much. Dryden.
    You can never interest the common herd in the abstract question. Coleridge.
Herd noun
Etymology
OE. hirde, herde, heorde, AS. hirde, hyrde, heorde; akin to G. hirt, hirte, OHG. hirti, Icel. hirir, Sw. herde, Dan. hyrde, Goth. haírdeis. See 2d Herd.
Definitions
  1. One who herds or assembles domestic animals; a herdsman; -- much used in composition; as, a shepherd; a goatherd, and the like. Chaucer.
Herd intransitive verb
Etymology
See 2d Herd.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Herded; present participle & verbal noun Herding
Definitions
  1. To unite or associate in a herd; to feed or run together, or in company; as, sheep herd on many hills.
  2. To associate; to ally one's self with, or place one's self among, a group or company.
    I'll herd among his friends, and seem One of the number. Addison.
  3. To act as a herdsman or a shepherd. Scot.
Herd transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To form or put into a herd.

Webster 1913