In the English language, many animals have different names depending on whether they are male, female, young, domesticated, or in groups.
The best-known source of many English words used for collective groupings of animals is The Book of Saint Albans, an essay on hunting published in 1486 and attributed to Juliana Berners. Most terms used here may be found in common dictionaries and general information web sites.[1] [2] [3]
The terms in this table apply to many or all taxons in a particular biological family, class, or clade.
| Scientific term | Trivial name! | Young | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bird | chick | cock, rooster | flock | avian | |||
cattle
| calf | cow (bred), heifer (not bred) | bull (intact), bullock[5] or steer (castrated) | bovine | |||
| dog | puppy, pup,[6] cub, whelp | bitch | canine | ||||
| whale, dolphin, porpoise | calf | cow | bull | pod | cetacean | ||
| horse | colt (male), filly (female), foal | jenny (asses), mare (other equids) | jack (asses), stallion (other equids), gelding (castrated horse) | herd | equine | ||
| cat | kitten (non-big cats, such as Felis, Lynx, Puma,[7] etc.), cub (big cats, Panthera, and also Puma) | queen | tom, king | clowder (small cats), pride (big cats) | feline | ||
| pig | piglet | sow | boar | drift or drove | porcine | ||
| Raccoon family of Carnivorans | cub, kit | sow | boar | gaze, smack, committee | procyonine, nasuine, others | ||
| Civet family of Carnivorans | cub, kit | sow | boar | viverrine | |||
| Ferret family of Carnivorans (large: badgers & wolverines; small: weasels & ferrets) | kit | sow (large) or jill (small) | boar (large) or hob,[8] jack (small) | colony (large) or business (small) | musteline | ||
| rabbits & hares | nestling | jill | jack | nest or band | leporine | ||
| bony fish | hatchling, fry, fingerling | piscine, ichthyic |
| Animal | Young | Culinary noun for meat | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | |||||||
| cub | sow | boar | orycteropodian | ||||
| chick | flock[9] gam (when searching for mates)[10] rookery[11] | diomedeid | |||||
| hatchling | cow | bull | congregation[12] | eusuchian | |||
| Alpaca[13] | cria | hembra | macho | herd | camelid | ||
| larva pupa | queen (fertile) soldier worker | drone | formic myrmicine | ||||
| pup | sow | boar | vermilinguan | ||||
| calf[16] | doe | buck | cluster herd[17] tribe | alcelaphine antilopine bubaline | |||
| baby child infant | band family group shrewdness[18] troop, group | simian | |||||
| baby pup | sow | boar | protection | cingulatan | |||
| foal | jack | coffle drove herd pace | asinine | ||||
| B | |||||||
| infant | babuina[19] | flange[20] troop, group | |||||
| cub kit | sow | boar | cete colony | musteline | |||
| hatchling, fry, fingerling | school[21] | percesocine | |||||
| pup | camp[22] cloud[23] colony flock[24] | noctillionine pteropine | |||||
| Bear (list) | cub[25] | she-bear sow | boar | sleuth sloth | ursine | ||
| kit kitten pup | buck | colony family | castoridine | ||||
| larva pupa | queen worker | drone | apian apiarian apic | ||||
| larva grub (wormlike forms) mealworm (darkling beetles) pupa | swarm | coleopterous | |||||
| binlet | potosine | ||||||
| Bird (list) Also see Aves | chick | hen | cock | flight flock pod | avian | ||
| Boar/wild pig Also see Pig | farrow piglet shoat/shote (just weaned) | sow | boar hog | herd[26] singular sounder (groups of 12 or more) | |||
| bobkitten | feline | ||||||
| chick | flock | psittacine | |||||
| calf | bubaline | ||||||
| Bull See Cattle | |||||||
| caterpillar chrysalis larva pupa | flight flutter[27] kaleidoscope[28] rabble swarm[29] | rhopaloceran | |||||
| C | |||||||
| calf | cow | bull | caravan flock herd train | camelid cameline | |||
| pup | |||||||
| Cat (list) | molly pussy queen | gib (castrated male)[30] king tom | clowder cluster clutter[31] glaring kindle (kittens)[32] litter (kittens) pillow (kittens) pounce nuisance[33] | feline | |||
| Cattle (list) | calf[34] | bull bullock ox steer | drove gang herd obstinancy team (oxen) troop yoke (oxen) | bovine taurine (male) vaccine (female) vituline (young) | beef veal | ||
| calf | doe | bull | rupicaprine | ||||
| cub | she-cheetah | cheetah | coalition (male)[36] | feline | |||
| Chicken (list) | chick | hen pullet | brood clutch (eggs) flock peep (chicks) | galline | poultry | ||
| infant | empress | emperor blackback | troop, group tribe | panine | |||
| kit | sow velvet | boar bull | colony | chinchilline | |||
| chick | chattering[37] clattering[38] | corvine | |||||
| kit pup | sow | boar | troop | nasuine | |||
| quiver[39] | elapid | ||||||
| nymph | intrusion | blattid | |||||
| codling | school | gadine gadoid | |||||
| chick shaglet | flight gulp | ||||||
| Cow See Cattle | |||||||
| zoea | hen jenny | cock jimmy | cancrine | ||||
| chick colt[40] | herd[41] [42] [43] sedge sege[44] siege[45] | alectorine | |||||
| nymph | |||||||
| hatchling | cow | bull | bask congregation float menace | crocodilian | |||
| murder | corvine | ||||||
| herd | |||||||
| D | |||||||
| calf fawn | doe hind cow | buck bull hart (red deer) stag | bunch[46] herd mob rangale | cervine elaphine | humble (organ meat) venison | ||
| Dinosaur (list) | calf (Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha) chick (Theropoda) hatchling juvenile | cow (Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha) hen (Theropoda) | bull (Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha) cock (Theropoda) | herd (herbivores) pack (carnivores) | dinosaurian | ||
| Dog (list) | pup puppy whelp[47] | bitch | dog sire stud | comedy (boxers)[48] [49] cowardice (curs)[50] cry (hounds)[51] kennel litter (young)[52] mute pack (wild) | canine | ||
| Dogfish Also see Shark | troop | selachian squaloid | capeshark (US) flake (UK, Australia) huss (UK) kahada (Canada)[53] rigg (UK) rock salmon (UK) spiny dogfish | ||||
| calf | cow | bull | herd pod[54] [55] school team | delphine | |||
| Donkey (list) See Ass | |||||||
| chick | hen | cock | arc cote dole dule flight piteousness pitying | columbine | |||
| nymph | queen | drake king | cluster flight | anisopteran | |||
| Duck (list) Also see Mallard | duckling | duck hen | cock drake | badling (on land) brace (on land) bunch (on water) flock (on land) herd (on land) paddling (on water) raft (on water) safe (on land) skein (in flight) sord (on land) sore (on land) string (in flight) team (in flight) waddling (on land) | anatine fuliguline | poultry | |
| calf | cow | bull | herd | dugongine | |||
| chick | fling | ||||||
| E | |||||||
| eaglet fledgling | convocation | aquiline | |||||
| puggle (in common use, but not scientifically endorsed) | tachyglossine | ||||||
| leptocephalus (larva) elver (juvenile) | anguilline | ||||||
| calf | cow | bull[56] | herd memory parade | elephantine proboscidean proboscine | |||
| pup | cow | bull | miroungan | ||||
| Elk/wapiti | calf | cow | bull | cervine | venison | ||
| chick hatchling | mob | ||||||
| F | |||||||
| eyass/eyas | falcon | tercel terzel tiercel | cast | acciptrine | |||
| kit | jill | hob | business busyness | musteline | |||
| chick | hen | cock | charm | fringilline | |||
| Fish (list) | fingerling fry | school | piscine | ||||
| chick | flamboyance[57] stand | phoenicopterine | |||||
| maggot | business cloud swarm | dipterous | |||||
| cub kit pup | dog reynard tod | leash skulk earth | vulpine | ||||
| froglet polliwog tadpole | army | ranine | |||||
| G | |||||||
| calf | cow | bull | herd | gazelline | |||
| hatchling | dam (herpetoculture) | sire (herpetoculture) | |||||
| pup | doe | buck | horde | gerbilline | |||
| cub | sow | boar | embarrassment [58] sleuth[59] | ailuropodine | |||
| calf | cow | bull | corps[60] herd tower[61] | giraffine | |||
| larva | cloud horde rabble swarm | ||||||
| calf | cow | bull | herd implausibility[62] | ||||
| Goat (list) | kid | doe doeling nanny | billy buck buckling wether (castrated) | herd flock tribe trip trippe | caprine | cabrito chevon mutton | |
| charm | cardueline | ||||||
| dopping | |||||||
| gosling | goose | gander | chevron (in flight) flock (on land) gaggle (on land) plump (on land) skein (in flight) team (in flight) wedge (in flight) | anatine anserine | poultry | ||
| infant | band troop, group whoop | simian | |||||
| flight | |||||||
| nymph | cloud swarm | caeliferian | |||||
| covey pack | tetraonine | ||||||
| chulengo[63] | camelid | ||||||
| keet | hen | cock | flock[64] rasp[65] | numidine | poultry | ||
| pup | sow | boar | cuy | ||||
| chick | hen | cock | larine | ||||
| H | |||||||
| pup | doe | buck | horde | cricetid | |||
| leveret | doe jill | buck jack | band down[66] drove flick husk | leporine | |||
| eyas | hen | tiercel | aerie[67] boil (soaring in large groups) cast cauldron (soaring in large groups) flight flock kettle (soaring in large groups) leash staff | accipitrine | |||
| hoglet piglet pup | sow | boar | array | erinaceine | |||
| zoea | paguroid | ||||||
| chick | hen | cock | flight sedge sege siege | ardeidine | |||
| army glean shoal | clupeidean | ||||||
| calf | cow | bull | bloat herd sea thunder | hippopotamine | |||
| larva pupa | queen | drone | vespine | ||||
| Horse (list) | colt (male) filly (female) foal weanling yearling | gelding (castrated male) ridgling stallion (not castrated) stud | band (wild horses) field (racehorses) harras herd (wild horses) rag (colts) stable string (ponies) stud team (work horses) | caballine equine | horseflesh horsemeat | ||
| baby boy (male) child girl (female) infant | lady (colloquial) woman | gentleman (colloquial) man | band clan crowd family group horde tribe | human simian | “long pig” the flesh that speaks | ||
| chick | hen | cock | trochilidine trochiline | ||||
| cub | cackle clan | hyenine | |||||
| I | |||||||
| kid | nanny | billy | herd[68] | caprine | |||
| chick | colony | ciconiiforme | |||||
| hatchling | cow | bull | |||||
| calf | ewe | ram | herd | ||||
| J | |||||||
| cub | leap parade prowl[69] | ||||||
| chick | hen | cock | band party scold | corvine | |||
| bloom brood fluther smack smuth | scyphozoan | ||||||
| Junglefowl | |||||||
| K | |||||||
| joey | doe flyer jill roo | boomer buck jack | court herd mob[71] troop | macropodine | |||
| chick | court tyranny coronation | ||||||
| kit pup | sow | boar | convergence troop | potosine | |||
| chick | accipitrine | ||||||
| joey | doe | buck | phascolarctine | ||||
| calf chick hatchling | cow hen | bull cock | varanine | ||||
| L | |||||||
| larva | loveliness | coleopterous | |||||
| chick | deceit desert | vanelline | |||||
| chick | hen | cock | exaltation | alaudine | |||
| infant | conspiracy[72] | lemurine | |||||
| cub | leopardess | leopard | leap lepe | pardine | |||
| cub | lioness | lion | pride[73] [74] sawt | leonine | |||
| hatchling | |||||||
| cria | dam hembra | macho stud | camelid | ||||
| hen | cock | risk | homarine | ||||
| Locust (list) | nymph | cloud host swarm | caelifera | ||||
| infant | colony[75] | lorisine[76] | |||||
| nymph | colony | pediculine | |||||
| chick | hen | cock | musket[77] | menurine | |||
| M | |||||||
| Mallard Also see Duck | duckling | hen | greenhead[78] | sord suit | anatine | poultry | |
| Mammoth | calf | cow | bull | herd pack | mammutine | ||
| calf | cow | bull | manatine sirenian | ||||
| infant | horde | simian | |||||
| fry | feline | ||||||
| nymph | swarm | caelifera | |||||
| meerkitten | herpestine | ||||||
| cub kit | sow | boar | musteline | ||||
| pup | sow | boar | labor | talpine | |||
| pup | committee delegation troop | herpestine | |||||
| infant | group, troop | simian | |||||
| calf | cow | bull | herd | cervine | venison | ||
| nymph tumbler wriggled | aedine anopheline | ||||||
| caterpillar chrysalis larva pupa | eclipse swarm | rhopaloceran | |||||
| crawler (as pet feed) fuzzy (as pet feed) hopper (as pet feed) pinky (as pet feed) pup | doe | buck | colony nest | murine | |||
| N | |||||||
| calf[79] | cow | bull | pod herd school gam grind | cetacean[80] cetaceous | |||
| eft[81] | pleurodeline | ||||||
| chick | hen | cock | watch | philomelian | |||
| O | |||||||
| fry | hen[82] | consortium[83] | octopodine | ||||
| calf | cow | bull | herd | okapine | |||
| joey | jill | jack | passel[84] | didelphine | |||
| chick hatchling | hen | cock | flock troop | ratite struthious | |||
| pup whelp | sow | boar | family romp | lutrine musteline | |||
| Ox See Cattle | |||||||
| fledgling owlet | parliament | strigine | |||||
| spat | bed | ostracine | |||||
| P | |||||||
| cub | pantheress | panther | pantherine | ||||
| chick | hen | cock | flock | psittacine | |||
| Panda See Giant panda | |||||||
| chick | chantelle hen | cock | covey roost | perdicine | |||
| chick peachick | peahen | peacock | ostentation | pavonine | poultry | ||
| squadron[85] | |||||||
| chick nestling | pod scoop | pelecanine | |||||
| chick nestling | colony huddle raft (in water) rookery tuxedo waddle (on land)[86] [87] | spheniscine | |||||
| chick | hen | cock | bouquet flock nest nide nye | phasianine | |||
| Pig (list) Also see Boar | farrow piglet shoat/shote (just weaned) | gilt (not bred)[88] sow (bred) | barrow (castrated)[89] [90] boar hog | drift[91] drove litter (piglets) sounder (older pigs) team (older pigs) | porcine suilline | bacon ham pork | |
| Pigeon (list) | squab squeaker | hen | cock | flight[92] flock kit | pullastrine | squab | |
| paddle[93] | |||||||
| cub | sow | boar | aurora[94] celebration pack | ursine | |||
| Pony See Horse | |||||||
| pup, porcupette[95] | sow | boar | prickle | hystricine, erethizontine[96] | |||
| calf | cow | bull | pod school shoal | phocoenine | |||
| pup | sow | boar | town | cynomurine | |||
| pup | bitch | dog sire stud | grumble | ||||
| Q | |||||||
| chick | hen | cock | bevy | galliformine | |||
| R | |||||||
| Rabbit (list) | bunny kit kitten nestling | doe jill | buck jack yoyo | litter (young) nest warren wrack (young) | leporine | ||
| cub kit | sow | boar | brace committee gaze nursery smack troop | procyonine | |||
| Ram Also see Sheep | lamb | ewe | ram | flock | arietine ovine | lamb mutton | |
| Rat (list) | kitten pup | doe | buck | colony horde mischief[97] [98] | murine | ||
| chick | hen | cock | conspiracy unkindness[99] | corvid corvine | |||
| calf | hind | hart stag | venison | ||||
| cub | sow | boar | pack | ailurid | |||
| calf | cow | bull | crash[100] herd | ceratorhine | |||
| building parliament[101] | |||||||
| S | |||||||
| larva | maelstrom | caudatan salamandrine | |||||
| parr[102] | hen jen | cock jack | salmonine | ||||
| juvenile (young urchin) larva pluteus (free-swimming stage) | clypeasteroid | ||||||
| fling[103] | scolopacine | ||||||
| family | |||||||
| pup | cow | bull | otarine | ||||
| seafoal | seamare | seastallion | shoal | hippocampal | |||
| pup | cow | bull | herd pod rookery | phoca | |||
| pup | raft | lutrine | |||||
| cub pup[104] | bull | shiver | selachian squaloid | flake (AUS) | |||
| Sheep (list) Also see Ram | cosset lamb lambkin | dam ewe | buck ram wether (castrated) | ovine | hogget lamb mutton | ||
| shrewlet | sow | boar | colony drove | soricine | |||
| skinklet | scincine | ||||||
| caterpillar | hesperiine | ||||||
| kit | sow | boar | surfeit | mephitine | |||
| baby kitten pup | sow | boar | xenarthran (broader group) | ||||
| escargatoire[106] rout[107] walk | gastropodian | escargot | |||||
| Snake (list) | hatchling (newly hatched) neonate (newborn) snakelet | ball nest slither | anguine elapine ophidian serpentine viperine | ||||
| Spider (list) | spiderling | cluster clutter | arachnine arachnoid | ||||
| chick | bowl | ciconiiforme | |||||
| paralarva | shoal | teuthidane | |||||
| kit kitten pup | doe | buck | scurry | sciurine | |||
| asteroid/galaxy[108] | |||||||
| chattering murmuration | sturnine | ||||||
| chick | recurvirostrid | ||||||
| pup | fever[109] | squaloid | |||||
| cygnet flapper | pen | cob | bevy flock game lamentation wedge (in flight) | cygnine | |||
| T | |||||||
| calf | cow | bull | herd | tapirine | |||
| tarsiine | |||||||
| larva | colony nest swarm | isopteran | |||||
| chick | turdine | ||||||
| cub whelp | tigress | tiger | ambush streak | tigrine | |||
| tadpole toadlet | knot | batrachian ranine | |||||
| chick | durante | ramphasto | |||||
| Turkey (list) | poult | hen | gobbler jake (immature) stag tom | rafter[110] [111] | poultry | ||
| hatchling turtlet | bale[112] | chelonian | |||||
| V | |||||||
| hatchling | viperine | ||||||
| W | |||||||
| joey | jill | jack | mob | ||||
| calf | cow | bull | herd pod | odobenine | |||
| larva | queen worker | drone | colony hive nest swarm | vespine | |||
| kit pup | bitch doe jill | buck dog hub jack | gang sneak | musteline | |||
| calf | cow | bull | gam pod school | cetacean cetaceous | blubber | ||
| calf | cow | bull | confusion | ||||
| cub pup puppy whelp | bitch she-wolf | dog | pack | canine lupine | |||
| kit whelp | angeline | wolverine | pack | musteline | |||
| joey | jill | jack | wisdom | ||||
| Z | |||||||
| mare | stallion | cohort dazzle herd[113] zeal | hippotigrine zebrine | ||||
Merriam-Webster writes that most terms of venery fell out of use in the 16th century, including a "murder" for crows. It goes on to say that some of the terms in The Book of Saint Albans were "rather fanciful", explaining that the book extended collective nouns to people of specific professions, such as a "poverty" of pipers. It concludes that for lexicographers, many of these do not satisfy criteria for entry by being "used consistently in running prose" without meriting explanation. Some terms that were listed as commonly used were "herd", "flock", "school", and "swarm".[114]
Writing for Audubon, Nicholas Lund says that many such terms are not used in actuality. When he interviewed scientists who specialize in studying specific animals, they had not heard of these terms, such as a "bask" of crocodiles or "wisdom" of wombats, being applied in their fields. Lund noted that the common plural nouns for animals were "flock" for birds and "herd" for cows, conceding that for certain animals in small groups, there was currency in usage such as a "pod" of whales or "gaggle" of geese.[115]