herd

1 of 2

noun

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 herdNorman Cousins
herdlike adjective

herd

2 of 2

verb

herded; herding; herds

transitive verb

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 foolsJonathan Swift

intransitive verb

1
: 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 herdSir 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 Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Hancock Agriculture is the second-largest beef producer, with a total herd capacity of more than 340,000. Shivaune Field, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025 Banner tells Whitfield that he’s lost his sheep herd to parasites, and Whitfield has the nerve to laugh. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
In the bond market, Treasury yields pulled back as investors herded into investments generally seen as safer when the U.S. economy’s prospects look rockier. Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025 But the three to four deeply unserious men who appear each season to drone on about crypto, Joe Rogan, and Brazilian jujitsu will get herded away by the captive audience of their dreams and stop wasting a living, breathing woman’s time. Nic Juarez, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for herd

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English heord; akin to Old High German herta herd, Middle Welsh cordd troop, Lithuanian kerdžius shepherd

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of herd was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Herd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herd. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

herd

1 of 2 noun
1
: a number of animals of one kind kept or living together
2
: the common people

herd

2 of 2 verb
1
: to assemble or come together into a herd or group
2
: to gather, lead, or drive a herd
herd cattle
herder noun

More from Merriam-Webster on herd

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!