flock

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈfläk 

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

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• army
• bike [chiefly Scottish]
• cram
• crowd
• crush
• drove
• herd
• horde
• host
• legion
• mass
• mob
• multitude
• press
• rout
• scrum
• swarm
• throng

Verb (1)

• crowd
• mob
• swarm
• throng

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

For centuries various scientists have been trying to figure out how flocks of birds and schools of fish are able to move in perfect unison. . . . —Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2024

Last week, the virus was found in a flock of ducks at a pet fair in Hawaii, the one state that hadn’t previously found a case — probably transmitted by wild birds, which continue to spread the illness far and wide. —Zeynep Tufekci, The Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2024

Verb

By Chad de Guzman December 6, 2024 4:45 AM EST Every five years around November and December, hundreds of thousands to millions of Hindus flock to a temple in southeastern Nepal, next to the country’s border with India, in a tradition that has sparked both reverence and controversy. —Chad De Guzman, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024

Resembling a fresh dusting of snow, flocking on a wreath will instantly turn your space into a winter wonderland. —Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2024

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

Phrases Containing flock

• birds of a feather flock together

Kids Definition

flock

1 of 2 noun

ˈfläk 

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