shepherd

1 of 2

noun

shep·​herd ˈshe-pərd 

1

: a person who tends sheep

2

: pastor

3

: german shepherd

shepherd

2 of 2

verb

shepherded; shepherding; shepherds

transitive verb

1

: to tend as a shepherd

2

: to guide or guard in the manner of a shepherd

shepherded the bill through Congress

Synonyms

Verb

• coach
• counsel
• guide
• lead
• mentor
• pilot
• show
• tutor

Examples of shepherd in a Sentence

Verb

She carefully shepherded the children across the street.

They shepherded the bill through Congress.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When a jihadist group attacks two very young shepherds, 14-year-old Ashraf is forced to take a macabre message back to his family. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024

Another grail watch that Wind helped shepherd to a client was an exceptional Paul Newman Rolex Daytona Panda reference 2623 with a full set and a tropical dial that was sold by a small Swedish auction house just under a decade ago. —Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2024

Verb

Those tasked with shepherding Desert Warrior acknowledge that sand has gummed up the movie’s gears. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024

While not a surefire strategy, nominations for directing, acting, and screenplay can shepherd a musical into the top category. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sheepherde, from Old English scēaphyrde, from scēap sheep + hierde herdsman; akin to Old English heord herd

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing shepherd

• Anatolian shepherd
• Australian shepherd
• English shepherd
• German shepherd
• shepherd dog
• shepherd's check
• shepherd's pie
• shepherd's purse

Kids Definition

shepherd

1 of 2 noun

shep·​herd ˈshep-ərd 

1

: a person who takes care of sheep

2

: german shepherd

shepherd

2 of 2 verb

: to care for as or as if a shepherd