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

Tourists 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 of flock

Noun (1)

• throng
• swarm
• crowd
• horde

Verb (1)

• crowd
• invade
• swarm
• mob
• 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

The perch is a little too small for bigger birds like mourning doves, and my voracious flock of starlings is often cut off. —Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), Great Pyrenees were originally bred as livestock guardian dogs, tasked with protecting flocks in mountainous regions between France and Spain. —Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

Verb

For the third year in a row, celebrities are flocking to shorter and shorter styles, which include the ever-evolving bob (see Penélope Cruz, Selena Gomez, and Gracie Abrams). —Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 30 Mar. 2026

The biggest names in private equity and venture investing have been flocking to the Gulf in recent years as the region’s sovereign wealth funds have become an increasingly important source of cash. —Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026

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 2

Verb (2)

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flock

• birds of a feather flock together

Rhymes for flock

• balk
• baulk
• bloc
• bock
• broch
• brock
• calk
• caulk
• chalk
• chock
• clock
• cock

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