I found my answer: Clowder. And this most enlightening list.
Apes | A shrewdness |
Asses | A pace |
Badgers | A cete |
Bats | A colony |
Bears | A sloth, sleuth |
Buffalo | A gang, an obstinacy (I suspect these refer to old world buffalo; use "herd" for American bison) |
Cats | A clowder, a pounce; for kittens...A kindle, litter, an intrigue |
Cattle | A drove, herd |
Deer | A herd, bevy (refers only to roe deer) |
Dogs | A litter (young), pack (wild), cowardice (of curs); specific to hounds...A cry, mute, pack, kennel |
Elephants | A herd |
Elk | A gang |
Ferrets | A business |
Fox | A leash, skulk, earth |
Giraffes | A tower |
Goats | A tribe, trip |
Gorillas | A band |
Hippopotamuses | A bloat |
Horses | A team, harras, rag (for colts), stud (a group of horses belonging to a single owner, string (ponies) |
Hyenas | A cackle |
Kangaroos | A troop |
Leopards | A leap |
Lions | A pride |
Martens | A richness |
Moles | A labor |
Monkeys | A troop, barrel |
Mules | A pack, span, barren |
Otters | A romp |
Oxen | A team, yoke |
Pigs | A drift, drove, litter (young), sounder (of swine), team, passel (of hogs), singular (refers to a group of boars) |
Porcupines | A prickle |
Rabbits | A colony, warren, nest, herd (domestic only), litter (young); specific to hares...A down, husk |
Rhinoceroses | A crash |
Seals | A pod, herd |
Sheep | A drove, flock, herd |
Squirrels | A dray, scurry |
Tigers | A streak |
Whales | A pod, gam, herd |
Wolves | A pack, rout or route (when in movement) |
There's more, for birds and other animals here.
They really do call it a murder of crows! It's a convocation of eagles; and a parliament of owls!
And a plague of locusts. I swear to God! And here I always thought they meant plague...as in...you know...plague.
The Gunslinger
English again proves itself to be a difficult language, at best.
ReplyDeleteI is an engineer.
Brett...welcome!
ReplyDeleteLOL...but what is a "pack" of engineers?
How about a "steeling"?
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ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how fitting most of those are. "A business of ferrets", "A bloat of hippopotamuses" (are they sure that's not hippopotami?)... I really giggled at "A romp of otters". That one is just perfect.
ReplyDelete