1
a
: a typically large group of animals of one kind kept together under human control
a herd of cattle
b
: a congregation of gregarious wild animals
herds of antelopes
2
a(1)
: a group of people usually having a common bond
a herd of tourists
(2)
: a large assemblage of like things
herds of cars
b
: the undistinguished masses : crowd
isolate the individual prophets from the herd—
Norman Cousins
Norman Cousins
herded; herding; herds
1
a
: to gather, lead, or drive as if in a herd (see herd entry 1 sense 1a)
herded the children into the car
b
: to keep or move (animals) together
dogs that are trained to herd sheep
2
: to place in a group
herd us with their kindred fools—Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift1
: to assemble or move in a herd (see herd entry 1)
herding onto the subway
2
: to place oneself in a group : associate
it is desirable that young noblemen should herd—Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott
Examples of herd in a Sentence
Noun
The herd grazed peacefully in the pasture.
A herd of shoppers waited anxiously for the store to open.
Verb
The horses were herded into the corral.
We left the hotel and were herded onto a bus.
They herded the students into the auditorium.
The commuters herded onto the train.
Recent Examples on the WebWendy Keefover, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024
California dairies are scrambling to guard herds against bird flu.
—Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
The same concept is being applied to other herds in Wyoming, Colorado, and other western states both to keep herds stable and to prevent those wandering wild sheep from bringing back disease.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2024
Cases have been detected in herds in Texas, Michigan, Kansas and New Mexico, and are suspected in other states, as well.
—Will Stone, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024
These orcas hunted a herd of nine adult female sperm whales, eventually making off with one.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024
And amid a coronavirus lockdown in March 2020, residents of Llandudno in Wales spotted herds of goats roaming the streets, after more than a dozen of the animals ventured down from the hill above the town.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
An avian flu infection spreading across cattle herds in Texas has jumped to humans and chickens.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
Holthaus spent nearly a decade breeding his herd with a focus on A2.
—Kristine M. Kierzek, Journal Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2024
Arbab Ali & Nadeem Sarwar, Saveur, 18 Apr. 2024
When a sweet farmer (James Cromwell) wins the titular pig (voiced by Christine Cavanaugh) at the fair, the runt escapes his fate as a Sunday ham and instead learns how to herd sheep.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
To herd fish near the water’s surface, the whales use a herding strategy called the carousel method.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
You are being herded toward potential financial ruin.
—Michelle Cottle, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Advertisement Many people, including you, have made similar statements as Hollywood has struggled to herd people back to the cineplex and navigate the splintered industry once known as television.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The officers use their horses to repeatedly herd the man back to the sidewalk.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
But the numbers from the historic Feb. 3 Democratic primary show there is a significant number of voters available for Haley to herd into her corner.
—USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2024
Creating a Super Bowl ad is often like trying to herd cats.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 Jan. 2024
Noun
This is all usually undertaken to protect sheep and cattle and grow mule-deer herds for hunters.
—Wendy Keefover, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024
California dairies are scrambling to guard herds against bird flu.
—Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
The same concept is being applied to other herds in Wyoming, Colorado, and other western states both to keep herds stable and to prevent those wandering wild sheep from bringing back disease.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2024
Cases have been detected in herds in Texas, Michigan, Kansas and New Mexico, and are suspected in other states, as well.
—Will Stone, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024
These orcas hunted a herd of nine adult female sperm whales, eventually making off with one.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024
And amid a coronavirus lockdown in March 2020, residents of Llandudno in Wales spotted herds of goats roaming the streets, after more than a dozen of the animals ventured down from the hill above the town.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
An avian flu infection spreading across cattle herds in Texas has jumped to humans and chickens.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
Holthaus spent nearly a decade breeding his herd with a focus on A2.
—Kristine M. Kierzek, Journal Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
Some herd their livestock into pens to avoid prowling leopards, a common sight in Devbhoomi, the mountainous region in Northern India known as the Land of the Gods.
—Arbab Ali & Nadeem Sarwar, Saveur, 18 Apr. 2024
When a sweet farmer (James Cromwell) wins the titular pig (voiced by Christine Cavanaugh) at the fair, the runt escapes his fate as a Sunday ham and instead learns how to herd sheep.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
To herd fish near the water’s surface, the whales use a herding strategy called the carousel method.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
You are being herded toward potential financial ruin.
—Michelle Cottle, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Advertisement Many people, including you, have made similar statements as Hollywood has struggled to herd people back to the cineplex and navigate the splintered industry once known as television.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The officers use their horses to repeatedly herd the man back to the sidewalk.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
But the numbers from the historic Feb. 3 Democratic primary show there is a significant number of voters available for Haley to herd into her corner.
—USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2024
Creating a Super Bowl ad is often like trying to herd cats.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'herd.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Herd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herd. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
herd
1 of 2 noun1
: a number of animals of one kind kept or living together
2
: the common people
herd
2 of 2 verb1
: to assemble or come together into a herd or group
2
: to gather, lead, or drive a herd
herd cattle
herder
noun
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