Herd Definition

hûrd

herded, herding, herds

noun

herds

A group of cattle or other domestic animals of a single kind kept together for a specific purpose.

American Heritage

A number of cattle, sheep, or other animals feeding, living, or being driven together.

Webster's New World

Any large group suggestive of this; crowd; company.

Webster's New World

The common people; masses.

Webster's New World

A herdsman.

Cowherd, shepherd.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

verb

herded, herding, herds

To gather together or move as a herd, group, crowd, etc.

Webster's New World

To gather, keep, or drive (animals) in a herd.

American Heritage

To tend or drive as a herdsman.

Webster's New World

To gather and place into a group or mass.

Herded the children into the auditorium.

American Heritage

(intransitive) 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.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

idiom

ride herd on

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Herd

Singular:

herd

Plural:

From Middle English herde, heerde, heorde, from Old English hierd, heord (“herd, flock; keeping, care, custody”), from Proto-Germanic *herdō (“herd”), from Proto-Indo-European *kerdʰ- (“file, row, herd”). Cognate with German Herde, Swedish hjord. Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian herdhe, çerdhe (“bird nest, cradle, kindergarten”).

From Wiktionary
Old English hirde, hierde, from Proto-Germanic *hirdijaz. Cognate with German Hirte, Swedish herde, Danish hyrde.

From Wiktionary
Middle English from Old English heord

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition