shepherd

1 of 2

noun

shep·​herd ˈshe-pərd 

1

: a person who tends sheep

2

: pastor

3

: german shepherd

shepherd

2 of 2

verb

shepherded; shepherding; shepherds

transitive verb

1

: to tend as a shepherd

2

: to guide or guard in the manner of a shepherd

shepherded the bill through Congress

Synonyms

Verb

• coach
• counsel
• guide
• lead
• mentor
• pilot
• show
• tutor

Examples of shepherd in a Sentence

Verb

She carefully shepherded the children across the street.

They shepherded the bill through Congress.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Much of training the dogs revolves around building their confidence and trust with the shepherds, Husketh-Tutton added. —Lizzy Alspach, Baltimore Sun, 7 Aug. 2024

Try the bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, or fish ‘n chips. —Wendy Altschuler, Travel + Leisure, 30 July 2024

Verb

There’s a box in northwest suburban Elmwood Park that’s going strong and is shepherded by Don Shanahan, a film critic and editor-in-chief of Film Obsessive. —Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 31 July 2024

On Thursday, July 25, Feige — the Marvel Studios president responsible for shepherding the massively successful Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise — became the 2,785th person to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. —Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 25 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sheepherde, from Old English scēaphyrde, from scēap sheep + hierde herdsman; akin to Old English heord herd

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing shepherd

• Anatolian shepherd
• Australian shepherd
• English shepherd
• German shepherd
• shepherd dog
• shepherd's check
• shepherd's pie
• shepherd's purse

Kids Definition

shepherd

1 of 2 noun

shep·​herd ˈshep-ərd 

1

: a person who takes care of sheep

2

: german shepherd

shepherd

2 of 2 verb

: to care for as or as if a shepherd