TERMS MOSTLY NOT EMPLOYED (in my list), too generic (i.e., broadly applicable): bag, bale, basket, bed, bouquet, bunch, bundle, cache, clump, cluster, collection, colony, community, covering, crate, field, flat, forest, group, grove, handful, harvest, line, load, orchard, passel, patch, pile, plantation, plot, population, row, sack, stack, stand, thicket or tray. Contact THE MAD BOTANIST with corrections and/or additions. I offer this contemporary and evolving compilation (see below) for you to use and enjoy. However, most are generally an informal part of language (i.e., there is often no standard), but you may be surprised at just how many have become part of accepted everyday lingo. A few collective nouns are technical and longstanding, with the quantified thing omitted or implied (e.g., corolla or dictionary ). Some of the term s have more than one collective noun with the selection frequently due to exactly what is being described defined for some. Why not? As you will discover, many are whimsical as well as instructive (largely based on a quality or association), with a distinctively midwestern flavor. These company terms are lifted from various sources (thank you), but some ( 1/3 ) are original - my contrivance. Accordingly, over the years I have accumulated a list of collective nouns related to gardening and plants - terms of vegery. But one thing that always troubled me as a botanist and gardener was how animal centric the terms are. The students liked the practice many would immediately turn to the bonus section. ![]() I introduced students to wordsmithery and collective nouns in my biology classes often using selections as extra credit on tests. ![]() β More recently, James Lipton produced An Exaltation of Larks (1st ed, 1968) in which he brings to light the term venery - an ancient practice denoting specific groups of individual animals primarily as it relates to βthe hunt.β The Game of Venery, started in the 15th century by English gentry, consists of creating poetic collective nouns and the challenge of knowing and using them appropriately. Perhaps the most extensive early reference was the Book of St Albans (1486) which listed β a compilation of matters relating to the interests of the time of a gentleman. A collective noun (aka company term) is a word used to describe a collection or group of things, like pack or kennel of dogs.
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