What Does “An Implausibility of Gnus” Mean?
“Implausibility” is one of the more openly playful entries on any collective noun list, and it’s built on a pun rather than any real behavioral or historical basis: “gnu” and “new” are homophones, and “implausibility” riffs on that wordplay much the way invented terms sometimes circulate purely for their cleverness rather than any documented traditional use.
Unlike centuries-old hunting terms such as “sounder” or “murder,” “implausibility of gnus” doesn’t appear in historical word lists; it’s a more modern, humor-driven addition to collective noun culture, the kind of term that spreads because it’s fun to say rather than because it reflects genuine animal behavior. Gnus (more properly called wildebeest) are, in reality, famous for forming some of the largest and most tightly coordinated herds of any African mammal, which makes the joke land even better: nothing about a real gnu gathering is remotely implausible.
Example: “The nature blog joked that an implausibility of gnus had gathered at the watering hole, a nod to the term’s punny origins.”
Other Collective Nouns for Gnus
Gnus go by more than one name. You might also hear:
Related: Collective Nouns for Mammals