flock

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
: a group of animals (such as birds or sheep) assembled or herded together
2
: a group under the guidance of a leader
especially : a church congregation
3
: a large number
a flock of tourists

flock

2 of 4

verb (1)

flocked; flocking; flocks

intransitive verb

: to gather or move in a flock
they flocked to the beach

flock

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
: a tuft of wool or cotton fiber
2
: woolen or cotton refuse used for stuffing furniture and mattresses
3
: very short or pulverized fiber used especially to form a velvety pattern on cloth or paper or a protective covering on metal
4
: floc

flock

4 of 4

verb (2)

flocked; flocking; flocks

transitive verb

1
: to fill with flock
2
: to decorate with flock

Examples of flock in a Sentence

Noun (1) a flock of obstreperous reporters at the press conference a flock of sheep crossing the road Verb (1) vacationers flocked to the towns along the shore in order to escape the August heat
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Many flock here to train with six-time Ironman world champion and Triathlon Hall of Fame inductee Dave Scott, who hosts five-day triathlon clinics annually. Sarah Sekula, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2024 After visitors enter the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, Washington, most flock to the Hall of Birds. Rudy Molinek, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024 Experts noted that the government pays poultry farmers for birds that need to be culled to contain H5N1 outbreaks in domestic flocks. Andrew Joseph, STAT, 26 June 2024 While celebs flock to Capri, Ischia and Amalfi, check out a spot off the California coast that could be a sister city to those in Italy. Mackenzie Schmidt, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for flock 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English flocc crowd, band; akin to Old Norse flokkr crowd, band

Noun (2)

Middle English flok, from Anglo-French, from Latin floccus

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flock was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near flock

Cite this Entry

“Flock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flock. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

flock

1 of 2 noun
1
: a group of animals (as birds or sheep) assembled or herded together
2
: a group someone keeps watch over
3
: a large number
a flock of tourists

flock

2 of 2 verb
: to gather or move in a crowd
they flocked to the beach

More from Merriam-Webster on flock

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