flock
1 Americannoun
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a number of animals of one kind, especially sheep, goats, or birds, that keep or feed together or are herded together.
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a large number of people; crowd.
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a large group of things.
a flock of letters to answer.
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(in New Testament and ecclesiastical use)
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the Christian church in relation to Christ.
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a single congregation in relation to its pastor.
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Archaic. a band or company of persons.
verb (used without object)
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to gather or go in a flock or crowd.
They flocked around the football hero.
noun
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a lock or tuft of wool, hair, cotton, etc.
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(sometimes used with a plural verb) wool refuse, shearings of cloth, old cloth torn to pieces, or the like, for upholstering furniture, stuffing mattresses, etc.
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Also called flocking. (sometimes used with a plural verb) finely powdered wool, cloth, etc., used for producing a velvetlike pattern on wallpaper or cloth or for coating metal.
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floc.
verb (used with object)
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to stuff with flock, as a mattress.
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to decorate or coat with flock, as wallpaper, cloth, or metal.
noun
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a tuft, as of wool, hair, cotton, etc
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waste from fabrics such as cotton, wool, or other cloth used for stuffing mattresses, upholstered chairs, etc
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( as modifier )
flock mattress
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very small tufts of wool applied to fabrics, wallpaper, etc, to give a raised pattern
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another word for floccule
verb
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(tr) to fill, cover, or ornament with flock
noun
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a group of animals of one kind, esp sheep or birds
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a large number of people; crowd
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a body of Christians regarded as the pastoral charge of a priest, a bishop, the pope, etc
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rare a band of people; group
verb
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to gather together or move in a flock
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to go in large numbers
people flocked to the church
Grammar
See collective noun.
Related Words
Flock, drove, herd, pack refer to a company of animals, often under the care or guidance of someone. Flock is the popular term, which applies to groups of animals, especially of sheep or goats, and companies of birds: This lamb is the choicest of the flock. A flock of wild geese flew overhead. Drove is especially applied to a number of oxen, sheep, or swine when driven in a group: A drove of oxen was taken to market. A large drove of swine filled the roadway. Herd is usually applied to large animals such as cattle, originally meaning those under the charge of someone; but by extension, to other animals feeding or driven together: a buffalo herd; a herd of elephants. Pack applies to a number of animals kept together or keeping together for offense or defense: a pack of hounds kept for hunting; a pack of wolves. As applied to people, drove, herd, and pack carry a contemptuous implication.
Other Word Forms
- flockless adjective
- flocky adjective
Etymology
Origin of flock1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun flok, Old English floc; cognate with Old Norse flokkr; the verb is derivative of the noun
Origin of flock2
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English flok, from Old French floc, from Latin floccus floccus
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The company said the falling prices reflected improved supply as avian flu subsided and average flock sizes increased.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
In 1860 a flock 1 mile wide and 300 miles long passed over Fort Mississauga on Lake Ontario.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Those companies are all highly profitable right now — and, according to Kantrowitz, investors tend to flock to companies with high returns on equity when markets are weak.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
When he goes out with his famous friends like Michael Bublé and people inevitably flock to them, he said, “I’m glad it’s not me.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
But there was something different about this flock.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
