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[Home]Collective nouns for people

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Also see Collective noun

SUBJECT COLLECTIVE TERM
STATUS
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.


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Last edited November 18, 2001 9:16 am by ManningBartlett (diff)
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