This article needs additional citations for verification .(March 2020) |
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. [1] Most terms used here may be found in common dictionaries and general information web sites. [2] [3] [4]
The terms in this table apply to many or all taxa in a particular biological family, class, or clade.
Scientific term | Trivial name | Young | Female | Male | Collective noun | Collateral adjective |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aves | bird | chick | hen | cock, rooster | flock | avian |
Bovinae | cattle; ox, [5] cow, kine (plural, dialectical) | calf | cow (bred); heifer (not bred) | bull (intact); bullock [6] or steer (castrated) | herd | bovine |
Caninae | dog | puppy, pup, [7] cub, whelp | bitch | dog | pack | canine |
Cetacea | whale, dolphin, porpoise | calf | cow | bull | pod herd [a] | cetacean |
Equidae | horse | colt (male), filly (female), foal | jenny (asses); mare (other equids) | jack (asses); stallion (other equids); gelding (castrated horse) | herd | equine |
Felidae | cat | kitten (non-big cats, such as Felis , Lynx , Puma , [9] etc.); cub (big cats, Panthera , and also Puma) | queen | tom, king | clowder (small cats); pride (big cats) | feline |
Suinae | pig | piglet | sow | boar | drift, drove | porcine, suine |
Procyonidae | Raccoon family of Carnivorans | cub, kit | gaze, smack, committee | procyonid, procyonine | ||
Viverridae | Civet family of Carnivorans | viverrid, viverrine | ||||
Mustelidae | Ferret family of Carnivorans (large: badgers & wolverines; small: weasels & ferrets) | kit | sow (large); jill (small) | boar (large); hob, [10] jack (small) | colony (large); business (small) | mustelid, musteline |
Leporidae | rabbits & hares | nestling | jill | jack | nest or band | leporid, leporine |
Osteichthyes | bony fish | hatchling, fry, fingerling | — | — | school, shoal | piscine, ichthyic |
Animal | Young | Female | Male | Collective noun | Collateral adjective | Culinary noun for meat |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | ||||||
Albatross | chick | — | — | flock [11] gam (when searching for mates) [12] rookery [13] | diomedeid diomedeine | |
Alligator | hatchling | cow | bull | congregation [14] | alligatorid alligatorine | |
Alpaca [15] | cria | hembra | macho | herd | — | |
Ant | larva pupa | queen (fertile) soldier worker | drone | army [16] bike [16] colony [16] [17] bivouac (migratory feeders) nest [14] swarm [16] | formicid formicine | |
Antelope | calf [18] | doe | buck | cluster [16] [19] herd [16] [19] tribe [16] [19] | antilopine | |
Ape | baby child infant | — | — | band family group shrewdness [2] [14] [19] [20] troop, group [14] [16] [19] | simian | |
Armadillo | baby pup | sow | boar | protection [2] | cingulatan chlamyphorid chlamyphorine dasypodid dasypodine | |
Ass/donkey | foal | jenny | jack | coffle [16] [19] drove [14] [16] [19] herd [16] pace [16] [17] [19] | asinine | |
B | ||||||
Baboon | infant | babuina [21] | — | flange [22] [b] troop, group [2] [14] [22] | — | |
Badger | cub kit | sow | boar | cete [2] [14] [17] [22] colony [22] | mustelid musteline | |
Bat | pup | — | — | camp [23] cloud [22] [24] colony [17] [22] flock [25] | vespertilionid vespertilionine | |
Bear (list) | cub [26] | she-bear sow | boar | sleuth [14] [17] [22] sloth [14] [17] [22] | ursid ursine | |
Beaver | kit kitten pup | — | — | colony [14] [22] family [14] | castorid castorine | |
Bee | larva pupa | queen worker [c] | drone | cast (a second swarm) [22] cluster (of workers around the queen) [22] colony [22] drift [2] [22] erst [2] [22] grist [14] [22] hive [2] [14] [22] nest [14] rabble [22] stand [22] swarm [2] [14] [22] | anthophilan apid apine | |
Beetle | larva grub (wormlike forms) [3] [4] mealworm (darkling beetles) [3] [4] pupa | — | — | swarm [27] | scarabaeid scarabaeine | |
Binturong | binlet | — | — | — | potosine | |
Boar/wild pig Also see Pig | farrow piglet shoat/shote (just weaned) | sow | boar hog | herd [22] [28] singular [14] [28] sounder (groups of 12 or more) [14] [28] | — | |
Bobcat | bobkitten | — | — | — | feline | |
Bull See Cattle | ||||||
Butterfly | caterpillar chrysalis larva pupa | — | — | flight [22] flutter [14] [29] kaleidoscope [30] rabble [22] swarm [31] | papilionine | |
C | ||||||
Camel | calf | cow | bull | caravan [14] flock [14] herd train [14] | — | |
Cardinal | college conclave deeck radiance Vatican [32] | cardinalid cardinaline | ||||
Cat (list) | kit kitten | molly queen | gib (castrated male) [33] king tom | clowder [2] [14] cluster [14] clutter [34] glaring [2] [14] kindle (kittens) [35] litter (kittens) pillow (kittens) pounce [14] nuisance [36] | feline | |
Cattle [d] (list) | calf [37] | cow [38] heifer freemartin | bull bullock ox steer | drove [14] gang [14] [17] [22] herd [14] [17] [22] obstinancy [14] [17] [22] team (oxen) troop [14] yoke (oxen) | bovine [e] taurine (male) vaccine (female) vituline (young) | beef veal |
Cheetah | cub kitten | — | — | coalition (male) [39] | — | |
Chicken (list) | chick | hen pullet | capon (castrated male) cock cockerel rooster | brood [14] clutch (eggs) flock peep (chicks) [14] | galline | poultry |
Chinchilla | kit | sow velvet | boar bull | colony | — | |
Chough | chick | — | — | chattering [2] [20] [40] clattering [2] [20] [41] | pyrrhocoracine | |
Cobra | — | — | — | quiver [42] | elapid elapine | |
Cockroach | nymph | — | — | intrusion [42] | blattodean blattid blattine | |
Cod | codling | — | — | school | gadid gadine | |
Cormorant | chick shaglet | — | — | flight gulp [14] [17] [42] | phalacrocoracid phalacrocoracine | |
Cow See Cattle | ||||||
Crab | zoea | hen jenny | cock jimmy | — | brachyuran cancrine | |
Crane | chick colt [43] | — | — | herd [44] [45] [46] sedge [17] sege [47] siege [48] | alectorid alectorine | |
Crocodile | hatchling | cow | bull | bask [14] congregation float [14] menace | suchian | |
Crow | — | — | — | murder [2] [14] | corvine | |
D | ||||||
Deer | calf [18] fawn | doe hind cow | buck bull [18] hart (red deer) stag | bunch [49] herd [49] mob [49] rangale [49] | cervid cervine | humble (organ meat) venison |
Dog (list) | pup [7] puppy whelp [50] | bitch | dog sire stud | comedy (boxers) [51] [52] cowardice (curs) [17] [53] cry (hounds) [54] kennel [49] litter (young) [55] mute [17] pack (wild) [17] [49] | canid canine | |
Dogfish Also see Shark | — | — | — | troop [49] | selachian squaloid | capeshark (US) flake (UK, Australia) huss (UK) kahada (Canada) [56] rigg (UK) rock salmon (UK) spiny dogfish |
Dolphin | calf | cow | bull | herd pod [57] [58] school [49] team [49] | delphine | |
Donkey (list) See Ass | ||||||
Dove | chick | hen | cock | arc [14] cote dole [2] [49] dule [14] [49] flight [2] [14] [49] piteousness [2] [49] pitying [14] | columbid columbine | |
Duck (list) Also see Mallard | duckling | duck hen | cock drake | badling (on land) [17] brace (on land) [17] bunch (on water) [2] [49] flock (on land) herd (on land) paddling (on water) [2] [49] raft (on water) [2] [49] safe (on land) [2] skein (in flight) [49] sord (on land) [49] sore (on land) [49] string (in flight) [49] team (in flight) [17] [49] waddling (on land) [49] | anatid anatine | poultry |
Dunlin | chick | — | — | fling [2] | scolopacid scolopacine | |
E | ||||||
Eagle | eaglet fledgling | — | — | convocation [14] [17] | aquiline accipitrid accipitrine | |
Echidna | puggle | — | — | — | tachyglossid tachyglossine | |
Eel | leptocephalus (larva) elver (juvenile) | — | — | bed [14] swarm [14] | anguillid anguilline | |
Elephant | calf [37] | cow [38] | bull [59] | herd memory [14] parade [23] | pachyderm proboscidean proboscine | |
Elk/wapiti | calf [18] | cow [18] | bull [18] | gang [14] herd [14] | — | venison |
Emu | chick hatchling | — | — | mob [14] | — | |
F | ||||||
Falcon | eyass/eyas | falcon | tercel terzel tiercel | cast [23] | — | |
Ferret | kit | jill | hob | business [14] [17] busyness [20] | mustelid musteline | |
Finch | chick | hen | cock | charm [17] | fringilline | |
Flamingo | chick | — | — | flamboyance [60] stand [23] | phoenicopterid phoenicopterine | |
Fly | maggot | — | — | business [14] cloud [14] swarm [14] | muscid muscine | |
Fox | cub [26] kit pup [7] | vixen | dog reynard tod | leash [14] [17] skulk [14] [17] earth [17] | vulpine | |
Frog | froglet polliwog tadpole | — | — | army [17] | ranid ranine | |
G | ||||||
Gecko | hatchling | dam (herpetoculture) | sire (herpetoculture) | — | — | |
Gerbil | pup | doe | buck | horde | — | |
Giant panda | cub | sow | boar | embarrassment [61] sleuth [62] | ailuropodid ailuropodine | |
Giraffe | calf | cow | bull | corps [63] herd tower [63] [64] | — | |
Gnat | larva | — | — | cloud [14] [17] [63] horde [14] [17] [63] rabble [63] swarm [14] [63] | — | |
Gnu | calf | cow | bull | herd implausibility [65] | — | |
Goat (list) | kid | doe doeling nanny | billy buck buckling wether (castrated) | herd flock [63] tribe [63] trip [63] trippe [63] | caprid caprine | cabrito chevon mutton |
Goldfinch | — | — | — | charm [63] | cardueline | |
Goosander | — | — | — | dopping [63] | — | |
Goose | gosling | goose | gander | chevron (in flight)[ citation needed ] flock (on land) gaggle (on land) [17] [63] plump (on land) [63] skein (in flight) [2] [17] [63] team (in flight) [2] [63] wedge (in flight) [2] [63] | anatid anatine anserine | poultry |
Gorilla | infant | — | blackback silverback | band [14] [17] [63] troop, group [14] whoop [63] | — | |
Goshawk | — | — | — | flight [20] [63] | — | |
Grasshopper | nymph | — | — | cloud [63] swarm [63] | caeliferian | |
Grouse | — | — | — | covey [63] pack [63] | tetraonid tetraonine | |
Guanaco | chulengo [66] | — | — | herd | — | |
Guinea fowl | keet | hen | cock | flock [67] rasp [68] | numidid numidine | poultry |
Guinea pig | pup | sow | boar | herd | — | cuy |
H | ||||||
Hamster | pup | doe | buck | horde | cricetid cricetine | |
Hare | leveret | doe jill | buck jack | band down [69] drove [69] flick [69] husk [69] | leporine | |
Hawk | eyas | hen | tiercel | aerie [70] [f] boil (soaring in large groups) [17] [70] cast [70] [g] cauldron (soaring in large groups) [70] flight [70] [h] flock [70] kettle (soaring in large groups) [14] [70] leash [70] [i] staff [70] [j] | accipitrine | |
Hedgehog | hoglet piglet pup | sow | boar | array [69] | erinaceine | |
Heron | chick | hen | cock | flight [69] sedge [14] [17] [69] sege [47] [69] siege [14] [17] [48] [69] | ardeid ardeine | |
Herring | — | — | — | army [17] [69] glean [69] shoal [69] | clupeid clupeine | |
Hippopotamus | calf | cow | bull | bloat [14] [17] [69] herd [69] sea [14] [17] [69] thunder [42] | — | |
Hornet | larva pupa | queen | drone | bike [69] nest [17] swarm | vespid vespine | |
Horse (list) | colt (male) filly (female) foal weanling yearling | dam mare | gelding (castrated male) ridgling stallion (not castrated) stud | band (wild horses) [14] field (racehorses) harras [17] herd (wild horses) [14] rag (colts) [17] stable [14] string (ponies) [17] stud [17] team (work horses) [14] [17] | caballine equid equine | horseflesh horsemeat |
Human | baby boy (male) child girl (female) infant | lady (colloquial) woman | gentleman (colloquial) man | band clan crowd family group horde tribe | — | “long pig” the flesh that speaks |
Hyena | cub | — | — | cackle [14] [17] clan | hyenid hyenine | |
J | ||||||
Jaguar | cub | — | — | leap [71] parade [23] prowl [71] | — | |
Jay | chick | hen | cock | band [14] party [17] scold [17] | corvid corvine | |
Jellyfish | ephyra [72] planula polyp | — | — | bloom brood [14] fluther [2] smack [2] [17] smuth [13] | medusozoan | |
Junglefowl (see chicken) | ||||||
K | ||||||
Kangaroo | joey | doe flyer jill roo | boomer buck jack | court herd mob [73] troop [17] | macropodine | |
Kingbird | chick | — | — | court tyranny coronation | — | |
Kinkajou | kit pup | sow | boar | convergence troop | potosine | |
Koala | joey | doe | buck | — | phascolarctid phascolarctine | |
L | ||||||
Ladybug | larva | — | — | loveliness | coccinellid coccinelline | |
Lapwing | chick | — | — | deceit [17] [20] desert [2] | vanelline | |
Lark | chick | hen | cock | exaltation [2] [20] | alaudine | |
Lemur | infant | — | — | conspiracy [74] | lemurine | |
Leopard | cub | leopardess | — | leap [2] [14] [17] lepe [2] | — | |
Lion | cub [26] | lioness | — | pride [75] [76] [45] sawt [45] [77] | leonine | |
Lizard | hatchling | — | — | — | — | |
Llama | cria | dam hembra | macho stud | flock herd | — | |
Lobster | — | hen [3] | cock [3] | risk | nephropoid nephropid nephropine | |
Locust (list) | nymph | — | — | cloud host swarm | caeliferan | |
Lyrebird | chick | hen | cock | musket [78] | menurine | |
M | ||||||
Mallard Also see Duck | duckling | hen | greenhead [79] | sord [2] suit [2] | anatid anatine | poultry |
Meerkat | meerkitten | — | — | — | herpestine | |
Mole | pup | sow | boar | labor [23] | talpine | |
Mongoose | pup | — | — | committee delegation troop | hespertid herpestine | |
Monkey | infant | — | — | group, troop [2] | simian | |
Moose | calf [18] | cow [18] | bull [18] [59] | herd | alceine | venison |
Mosquito | nymph tumbler wriggler | — | — | cloud scourge swarm | culicid culicine | |
Moth | caterpillar chrysalis larva pupa | — | — | eclipse [23] swarm [23] | lepidopteran | |
Mouse | pup | doe | buck | colony nest | murid murine | |
N | ||||||
Narwhal | calf [80] | cow [80] | bull [80] | pod [80] herd [80] school [80] gam [80] grind [80] | cetacean [81] cetaceous [81] monodontid monodontine | |
Newt | eft [82] | — | — | — | pleurodeline | |
Nightingale | chick | hen | cock | watch [44] [45] [46] | philomelian | |
O | ||||||
Octopus | paralarva | — | — | shoal | — | |
Opossum | joey | jill | jack | passel [83] | didelphid didelphine | |
Otter | pup whelp | sow | boar | family [23] romp | lutrine | |
Ox See Cattle | ||||||
Owl | fledgling owlet | — | — | parliament [14] | strigid strigine | |
Oyster | spat | — | — | bed [14] | ostreoid ostreid ostreine | |
P | ||||||
Panda See Giant panda | ||||||
Partridge | chick | chantelle hen | cock | covey roost | pavonine phasianine rolluline | |
Peafowl | chick peachick | peahen | peacock | ostentation | pavonine | poultry |
Peccary | — | — | — | squadron [84] | — | |
Pelican | chick nestling | — | — | pod [14] scoop | — | |
Penguin | chick nestling | — | — | colony [85] huddle [85] raft (in water) [85] rookery [85] tuxedo [13] waddle (on land) [85] [86] | spheniscid spheniscine | |
Pheasant | chick | hen | cock | bouquet [14] [17] flock nest [17] nide [17] nye [14] [17] | phasianid phasianine | |
Pig (list) Also see Boar | farrow piglet shoat/shote (just weaned) | gilt (not bred) [87] sow (bred) | barrow (castrated) [88] [89] boar hog | drift [14] [17] [90] drove [14] [17] litter (piglets) sounder (older pigs) [23] team (older pigs) [23] | porcine suine | bacon ham pork |
Pigeon (list) | squab squeaker | hen | cock | flight [91] flock kit [91] | columbid columbine | squab |
Platypus | — | — | — | paddle [92] | ornithorhynchid ornithorhynchine | |
Polar bear | cub | sow | boar | aurora [93] celebration [93] pack [93] | — | |
Pony See Horse | ||||||
Porcupine | pup, porcupette [94] | sow | boar | prickle [91] | hystricine hystricid erethizontid erethizontine [95] | |
Prairie dog | pup | sow | boar | town | cynomurid cynomurine | |
Pug | pup | bitch | dog sire stud | grumble [96] | — | |
Q | ||||||
Quail | chick | hen | cock | bevy [75] [76] [44] [45] [46] | phasianid phasianine | |
R | ||||||
Rabbit (list) | bunny kit kitten nestling | doe jill | buck jack yoyo | litter (young) nest [76] warren wrack (young) | leporid leporine | |
Raccoon | cub kit | sow | boar | brace committee gaze [75] nursery smack troop | procyonid procyonine | |
Ram Also see Sheep | lamb | ewe | ram | flock | arietine ovine | lamb mutton |
Rat (list) | kitten[ citation needed ] pup | doe | buck | colony horde mischief [97] [98] | murid murine | |
Raven | chick | hen | cock | conspiracy unkindness [44] [45] [99] | corvid corvine | |
Rhinoceros | calf | cow | bull | crash [100] herd | — | |
Rook | — | — | — | building [2] parliament [2] [101] | — | |
S | ||||||
Salamander | larva | — | — | maelstrom | caudatan salamandrid salamandrine | |
Salmon | parr [102] | hen jen | cock jack | — | — | |
Sand dollar | juvenile (young urchin) larva pluteus (free-swimming stage) | — | — | — | clypeasteroid clypeasterid clypeasterine | |
Sandpiper | — | — | — | fling [103] | scolopacid scolopacine | |
Sardine | — | — | — | family [103] | — | |
Seahorse | seafoal | seamare | seastallion | shoal | hippocampine | |
Seal | pup [7] | cow | bull | herd [103] pod [103] rookery [103] | pinnipedian phocid phocine | |
Sea otter | pup | — | — | raft | lutrine | |
Shark | cub [26] pup [104] | — | bull | shiver [61] | selachian squaloid | flake (AUS) |
Sheep (list) Also see Ram | cosset lamb lambkin | dam ewe | buck ram wether (castrated) | flock [75] [76] fold [105] herd | ovine | hogget lamb mutton |
Skunk | kit | sow | boar [3] | surfeit | mephitid mephitine | |
Snail | — | — | — | escargatoire [103] [106] rout [103] [107] walk [103] | gastropodine | escargot |
Snake (list) | hatchling (newly hatched) neonate (newborn) snakelet | — | — | ball nest [76] slither | anguine elapine ophidian serpentine viperine | |
Spider (list) | spiderling | — | — | cluster [103] clutter [103] | arachnid | |
Spoonbill | chick | — | — | bowl | plataleine | |
Squid | paralarva | — | — | shoal | teuthine | |
Squirrel | kit kitten pup | doe | buck | scurry [42] | sciurid sciurine | |
Starfish | bipinnaria brachiolaria | — | — | asteroid galaxy [108] | — | |
Starling | — | — | — | chattering [14] [40] murmuration [2] [14] [17] [20] | sturnid sturnine | |
Stingray | pup | — | — | fever [109] | myliobatoid | |
Swan | cygnet flapper | pen | cob | bevy [23] flock lamentation wedge (in flight) [23] | cygnine | |
T | ||||||
Termite | larva | — | — | colony nest swarm | termitid termitine | |
Thrush | chick | — | — | — | turdid turdine | |
Tiger | cub [26] whelp | tigress | — | ambush [14] streak [42] | tigrine | |
Toad | tadpole toadlet | — | — | knot [14] [17] | batrachian ranid ranine | |
Toucan | chick | — | — | durante | ramphastid ramphastine | |
Turkey (list) | poult | hen | gobbler jake (immature) stag tom | rafter [110] [111] | — | poultry |
Turtle | hatchling turtlet | — | — | bale [112] | testudine chelonian | |
V | ||||||
Viper | hatchling | — | — | — | viperine | |
W | ||||||
Wallaby | joey | jill | jack | mob | — | |
Wasp | larva | queen worker | drone | colony hive nest swarm | vespine | |
Weasel | kit pup | bitch doe jill | buck dog hub jack | gang [19] sneak [19] | mustelid musteline | |
Whale | calf [37] | cow [38] | bull | gam [23] pod [75] [76] school herd (baleen whales) [8] | cetacean balaenine | blubber |
Wildebeest | calf [37] | cow [38] | bull | confusion | connochaetine | |
Wolf | cub pup [7] puppy whelp | bitch she-wolf | dog | pack [75] [76] | canine lupine | |
Wombat | joey | jill | jack | wisdom [113] | vombatid vombatine | |
Z | ||||||
Zebra | colt (male) filly (female) foal | mare | stallion | cohort [114] dazzle [115] herd [14] [114] zeal [14] [114] | hippotigrine |
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". [116]
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. [117]