From prides of lions to pods of whales, discover the traditional and whimsical collective nouns for mammals.
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Clowder? One of the oldest and strangest words in English for a simple idea: a group of cats. 💬 “Clowder” is the collective noun for cats — a single animal, not two. You may see “Munchkins” listed alongside cats elsewhere, but a Munchkin is a breed of … Read more
🐖 Mammals · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Hogs Called? A large domestic pig with a whole pen full of collective nouns. 💬 A group of hogs is called a drift, with drove, parcel, passel, and sounder also used. Sounder is the more traditional term shared with pigs and wild boar generally. Quick … Read more
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Prickle? Two unrelated animals, one shared defense strategy, and the most literal collective noun on the site. 💬 “Prickle” is a collective noun for hedgehogs and porcupines — and unlike most shared terms on this site, it’s the primary, most widely used name for both. The word … Read more
🐆 Mammals · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Lynx Called? A term that gets used more in word lists than in the wild — because lynx mostly try to avoid each other. 💬 A group of lynx is most often called a chain of lynx, the collective noun cited most consistently across modern … Read more
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Passel? Folksy American slang for “a bunch of something” — not an old hunting term in disguise. 💬 “Passel” is a collective noun for the opossum — North America’s only marsupial, often called simply a “possum” in everyday American speech. Unlike many terms on this site, “passel” … Read more
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Fleet? Ducklings, foxes, and a duck-lookalike bird — but only one of them wears the title comfortably. 💬 “Fleet” is a collective noun for ducklings, foxes, and mudhens (American coots) — though it’s the clear front-runner for only one of the three. The word comes from Old … Read more
🐾 Mammals · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Wildcats Called? A secretive, tabby-striped hunter that’s a lot closer to your housecat’s ancestor than most people realize. 💬 A group of wildcats is called a destruction, with dout as a rarer alternate. European wildcats (Felis silvestris) closely resemble a large tabby cat but are … Read more
🦌 Mammals · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Elk Called? Bugling bulls, sprawling herds, and one of North America’s most iconic deer species. 💬 A group of elk is most often called a gang, a term commonly used for elk on the move or gathered together. Herd is the more general alternate, the … Read more
🐴 Mammals · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Mares Called? The females of the horse world, with more collective nouns than almost any other equine group. 💬 A group of mares is called a stud, with harem, herd, band, and several other terms also used. In wild horse populations, a harem is the … Read more
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Parcel? A deer and a finch, wrapped up in the same old word that gives you a package. 💬 “Parcel” is a collective noun for hinds and linnets — a female deer and a small European finch, two animals with nothing biologically in common, joined only by … Read more