50 collective nouns to bolster your vocabulary

Wouldn&#039;t you like to play with this kindle of kittens?

(Image credit: ThinkStock/Ingram Publishing)

last updated 8 January 2015

Most collective nouns, or "terms of venery," were coined during the 15th century. Many were codified in books of courtesy, like the 1486 classic Book of St. Albans. St. Albans was a handbook for medieval gentlemen, and it contained essays on hawking, hunting, and heraldry. Appended to the hunting chapter sits a list of 164 collective nouns, titled "The Compaynys of Beestys and Fowlys." (Contrary to the title, many terms actually describe people — a biting example of ye olde satire.)

As silly as some sound today, the phrases were formal and proper descriptions. St. Albans was, after all, a vocabulary-booster, a primer designed to help gentlemen-in-training avoid the embarrassment of "some blunder at the table." Over the next century, the book's popularity bloomed. Similar courtesy handbooks caught on, and by the end of the 16th century, a slew of collective nouns had entered the lexicon.

Some have achieved widespread currency and acceptance, like a "flight of stairs," "a board of trustees," and a "school of fish." Others, like a "murder of crows," barely cling on. However, a handful of obscure phrases have made a comeback, thanks to James Lipton's wonderful compendium of collective nouns, An Exaltation of Larks. Here are a few from Lipton's book that you should add to your repertoire.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox