\ ˈfläk
1 : a group of animals [such as birds or sheep] assembled or herded together
2 : a group under the guidance of a leader especially : a church congregation
3 : a large number a flock of tourists
1 : a tuft of wool or cotton fiber
2 : woolen or cotton refuse used for stuffing furniture and mattresses
3 : very short or pulverized fiber used especially to form a velvety pattern on cloth or paper or a protective covering on metal
First Known Use of flock
Noun [1]
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb [1]
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun [2]
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb [2]
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1
History and Etymology for flock
Noun [1]
Middle English, from Old English flocc crowd, band; akin to Old Norse flokkr crowd, band
Noun [2]
Middle English flok, from Anglo-French, from Latin floccus
Cite this Entry
Flock. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, //www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flock. Accessed 21 Feb. 2022.
MLA
\ ˈfläk \
1 : a group of animals living or kept together a flock of geese
2 : a group someone watches over the minister's flock
3 : a large number a flock of tourists
: to gather or move in a crowd Scientists are flocking to the little town of Freedom to see their first living dinosaur Oliver Butterworth, The Enormous Egg