SUBJECT | COLLECTIVE TERM | |
academics? | A faculty of academics | |
accountants | A balance of accountants | Uncertain |
actors | A cast of actors | |
actors | A company of actors | |
anatomists | A corps of anatomists | Spurious |
arsonists? | A conflagration of arsonists | |
athletes? | A team of athletes | |
automobile dealers | A lot of automobile dealers | Spurious |
pipers? | A poverty of pipers | |
barbers? | A babble of barbers | Spurious |
barons? | A thought of barons | |
beauties | A bevy of beauties | |
bookkeepers? | An audit of bookkeepers | |
bureaucrats? | A bloat of bureaucrats | Spurious |
bureaucrats? | A shuffle of bureaucrats | |
cardiologists | A flutter of cardiologists | Spurious |
starlets | A galaxy of starlets | |
cobblers | A drunken ship of cobblers | |
courtiers? | A threatening of courtiers | |
critics? | A pan of critics | Spurious |
doctors | A doctrine of doctors | |
pupils | A dilation of pupils | Spurious |
employees? | A staff of employees | |
engineers | A geek of engineers | Spurious |
[secret agents]? | A bond of secret agents | Spurious |
experts | A panel of experts | |
fishermen? | An exaggeration of fishermen | Spurious |
friars? | A scull of friars | |
mourners | A cortege of mourners | |
geologists | A conglomerate of geologists | Spurious |
girls? | A giggle of girls | |
grandparents? | A wisdom of grandparents | |
hackers | A cruft of hackers | Spurious |
harpers? | A melody of harpers | |
hoodlums? | A gang of hoodlums | |
horsemen | A cavalcade of horsemen | |
husbands? | A multiply of husbands | |
idiots | A thicket of idiots | Spurious |
jugglers? | A neverthriving of jugglers | |
knights | A banner of knights | |
knights | A rout of knights | |
ladies? | A bevy of ladies | |
lawyers | A huddle of lawyers | |
lepers? | A colony of lepers | |
librarians | A catalogue of librarians | Spurious |
men | A band of men | |
mathematicians | A number of mathematicians | |
mathematicians | A set of mathematicians | |
matrons? | A riches of matrons | |
mechanics? | A clutch of mechanics | Spurious |
meteorologists | A shower of meteorologists | Spurious |
misers? | A horde of misers | Spurious |
monks | An abomination of monks (see note) | Spurious |
natives? | A tribe of natives | |
nudists | A hangout of nudists | Spurious |
nuns? | A superfluity of nuns | |
onlookers? | A crowd of onlookers | |
orthodontists? | A brace of orthodontists | Spurious |
painters | An illusion of painters | |
pathologists? | A body of pathologists | Spurious |
performers? | A troupe of performers | |
philosophers | A ponder of philosophers | |
physicists | A nucleus of physicists | Spurious |
theoretical physicists | A field of theoretical physicists | Spurious |
plumbers? | A flush of plumbers | Spurious |
preachers? | A converting of preachers | |
prelates? | A pontifica of prelates | |
princes? | A state of princes | |
programmers | An asylum of programmers | Spurious |
harlots | A heard of harlots | |
prostitutes | An anthology of prostitutes (see note) | Spurious |
psychoanalysts | A complex of psychoanalysts | Spurious |
relatives? | A descent of relatives | Spurious |
scots? | A disworship of scots | |
senators? | A house of senators | |
servants? | An obesiance of servants | |
sailors | A crew of sailors | |
soldiers? | A brigade of soldiers | |
soldiers? | A company of soldiers | |
soldiers? | A division of soldiers | |
soldiers? | A platoon of soldiers | |
soldiers? | A squad of soldiers | |
stockbrokers? | A portfolio of stockbrokers | Spurious |
strumpets? | A blast of strumpets | Spurious |
students? | A class of students | |
tailors? | A disguising of tailors | |
thieves? | A den of thieves | |
toddlers? | A mine of toddlers | Spurious |
tourists | A flock of tourists | |
[tree surgeons]? | A graft of tree surgeons | Spurious |
troops? | A parel of troops | |
tubas (players) | A tumult of tubas (players) | Spurious |
[vicaries (vicars)]? | A prudence of vicaries (vicars) | |
waiters? | An indifference of waiters | Spurious |
widows? | An ambush of widows | Spurious |
witches | A coven of witches | |
women | A gaggle of women | |
worshipers? | A congregation of worshipers | |
yeomen? | A fellowship of yeomen | |
Notes:
The phrase "An abomination of monks" is frequently cited as a legitimate collective noun for monks. It is actually a misinterpretation of the title of a protestant treatise written by Jan Hus around 1400.
An "anthology of prostitutes" is a pun on "anthology of prose", as "pro" is a common contraction for prostitute in Britain and elsewhere.