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In the English language, many animals have different names depending on whether they are male, female, young, domesticated, or in groups.
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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 taxons 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 | calf | cow (bred), heifer (not bred) | bull (intact), bullock[6] or steer (castrated) | herd | bovine |
Canidae | dog | puppy, pup,[7] cub, whelp | bitch | dog | pack | canine |
Cetacea | whale, dolphin, porpoise | calf | cow | bull | pod | 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,[8] etc.), cub (big cats, Panthera, and also Puma) | queen | tom, king | clowder (small cats), pride (big cats) | feline |
Suidae | pig | piglet | sow | boar | drift or drove | porcine |
Procyonidae | Raccoon family of Carnivorans | cub, kit | sow | boar | gaze, smack, committee | procyonine, nasuine, others |
Viverridae | Civet family of Carnivorans | cub, kit | sow | boar | viverrine | |
Mustelidae | Ferret family of Carnivorans (large: badgers & wolverines; small: weasels & ferrets) | kit | sow (large) or jill (small) | boar (large) or hob,[9] jack (small) | colony (large) or business (small) | musteline |
Leporidae | rabbits & hares | nestling | jill | jack | nest or band | leporine |
Osteichthyes | bony fish | hatchling, fry, fingerling | — | — | school, shoal | piscine, ichthyic |
Animal | Young | Female | Male | Collective noun | Collateral adjective | Culinary noun for meat |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | ||||||
Aardvark | cub | sow | boar | — | orycteropodian | |
Albatross | chick | — | — | flock[10] gam (when searching for mates)[11] rookery[12] | diomedeid | |
Alligator | hatchling | cow | bull | congregation[13] | eusuchian | |
Alpaca[14] | cria | hembra | macho | herd | camelid | |
Ant | larva pupa | queen (fertile) soldier worker | drone | army[15] bike[15] colony[15][16] nest[13] swarm[15] | formic myrmicine | |
Anteater | pup | sow | boar | — | vermilinguan | |
Antelope | calf[17] | doe | buck | cluster[15][18] herd[15][18] tribe[15][18] | alcelaphine antilopine bubaline | |
Ape | baby child infant | — | — | band family group shrewdness[2][13][18][19] troop, group[13][15][18] | simian | |
Armadillo | baby pup | sow | boar | protection[2] | cingulatan | |
Ass/donkey | foal | jenny | jack | coffle[15][18] drove[13][15][18] herd[15] pace[15][16][18] | asinine | |
B | ||||||
Baboon | infant | babuina[20] | — | flange[21][lower-alpha 1] troop, group[2][13][21] | — | |
Badger | cub kit | sow | boar | cete[2][13][16][21] colony[21] | musteline | |
Barracuda | hatchling, fry, fingerling | — | — | school[22] | percesocine | |
Bat | pup | — | — | camp[23] cloud[21][24] colony[16][21] flock[25] | noctillionine pteropine | |
Bear (list) | cub[26] | she-bear sow | boar | sleuth[13][16][21] sloth[13][16][21] | ursine | |
Beaver | kit kitten pup | — | — | colony[13][21] family[13] | castoridine | |
Bee | larva pupa | queen worker[lower-alpha 2] | drone | cast (a second swarm)[21] cluster (of workers around the queen)[21] colony[21] drift[2][21] erst[2][21] grist[13][21] hive[2][13][21] nest[13] rabble[21] stand[21] swarm[2][13][21] | apian apiarian apic | |
Beetle | larva grub (wormlike forms)[3][4] mealworm (darkling beetles)[3][4] pupa | — | — | swarm[3] | coleopterous | |
Binturong | binlet | — | — | — | potosine | |
Bird (list) Also see Aves | chick | hen | cock | flight[2] flock[2] pod[2] | avian | |
Boar/wild pig Also see Pig | farrow piglet shoat/shote (just weaned) | sow | boar hog | herd[21][27] singular[13][27] sounder (groups of 12 or more)[13][27] | — | |
Bobcat | bobkitten | — | — | — | feline | |
Budgerigar | chick | — | — | flock | psittacine | |
Buffalo | calf | — | — | — | bubaline | |
Bull See Cattle | ||||||
Butterfly | caterpillar chrysalis larva pupa | — | — | flight[21] flutter[13][28] kaleidoscope[29] rabble[21] swarm[30] | rhopaloceran | |
C | ||||||
Camel | calf | cow | bull | caravan[13] flock[13] herd train[13] | camelid cameline | |
Cat (list) | kit kitten | molly pussy queen | gib (castrated male)[31] king tom | clowder[2][13] cluster[13] clutter[32] glaring[2][13] kindle (kittens)[33] litter (kittens) pillow (kittens) pounce[13] nuisance[34] | feline | |
Cattle[lower-alpha 3] (list) | calf[35] | cow[36] heifer freemartin | bull bullock ox steer | drove[13] gang[13][16][21] herd[13][16][21] obstinancy[13][16][21] team (oxen) troop[13] yoke (oxen) | bovine[lower-alpha 4] taurine (male) vaccine (female) vituline (young) | beef veal |
Chamois | calf | doe | bull | herd | rupicaprine | |
Cheetah | cub | she-cheetah | cheetah | coalition (male)[37] | feline | |
Chicken (list) | chick | hen pullet | capon (castrated male) cock cockerel rooster | brood[13] clutch (eggs) flock peep (chicks)[13] | galline | poultry |
Chimpanzee | infant | empress | emperor blackback | troop, group tribe | panine | |
Chinchilla | kit | sow velvet | boar bull | colony | chinchilline | |
Chough | chick | — | — | chattering[2][19][38] clattering[2][19][39] | corvine | |
Cobra | — | — | — | quiver[40] | elapid | |
Cockroach | nymph | — | — | intrusion[40] | blattid | |
Cod | codling | — | — | school | gadine gadoid | |
Cormorant | chick shaglet | — | — | flight gulp[13][16][40] | — | |
Cow See Cattle | ||||||
Crab | zoea | hen jenny | cock jimmy | — | cancrine | |
Crane | chick colt[41] | — | — | herd[42][43][44] sedge[16] sege[45] siege[46] | alectorine | |
Crocodile | hatchling | cow | bull | bask[13] congregation float[13] menace | crocodilian | |
Crow | — | — | — | murder[2][13] | corvine | |
Curlew | — | — | — | herd[2][19] | — | |
D | ||||||
Deer | calf[17] fawn | doe hind cow | buck bull[17] hart (red deer) stag | bunch[47] herd[47] mob[47] rangale[47] | cervine elaphine | humble (organ meat) venison |
Dinosaur (list) | calf (Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha) chick (Theropoda) hatchling juvenile | cow (Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha) hen (Theropoda) | bull (Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha) cock (Theropoda) | herd (herbivores) pack (carnivores) | dinosaurian | |
Dog (list) | pup[7] puppy whelp[48] | bitch | dog sire stud | comedy (boxers)[49][50] cowardice (curs)[16][51] cry (hounds)[52] kennel[47] litter (young)[53] mute[16] pack (wild)[16][47] | canine | |
Dogfish Also see Shark | — | — | — | troop[47] | selachian squaloid | capeshark (US) flake (UK, Australia) huss (UK) kahada (Canada)[54] rigg (UK) rock salmon (UK) spiny dogfish |
Dolphin | calf | cow | bull | herd pod[55][56] school[47] team[47] | delphine | |
Donkey (list) See Ass | ||||||
Dove | chick | hen | cock | arc[13] cote dole[2][47] dule[13][47] flight[2][13][47] piteousness[2][47] pitying[13] | columbine | |
Dragonfly | nymph | queen | drake king | cluster flight | anisopteran | |
Duck (list) Also see Mallard | duckling | duck hen | cock drake | badling (on land)[16] brace (on land)[16] bunch (on water)[2][47] flock (on land) herd (on land) paddling (on water)[2][47] raft (on water)[2][47] safe (on land)[2] skein (in flight)[47] sord (on land)[47] sore (on land)[47] string (in flight)[47] team (in flight)[16][47] waddling (on land)[47] | anatine fuliguline | poultry |
Dugong | calf | cow | bull | herd | dugongine | |
Dunlin | chick | — | — | fling[2] | — | |
E | ||||||
Eagle | eaglet fledgling | — | — | convocation[13][16] | aquiline | |
Echidna | puggle (in common use, but not scientifically endorsed) | — | — | — | tachyglossine | |
Eel | leptocephalus (larva) elver (juvenile) | — | — | bed[13] swarm[13] | anguilline | |
Elephant | calf[35] | cow[36] | bull[57] | herd memory[13] parade[23] | elephantine proboscidean proboscine | |
Elephant seal | pup | cow | bull | — | miroungan | |
Elk/wapiti | calf[17] | cow[17] | bull[17] | gang[13] herd[13] | cervine | venison |
Emu | chick hatchling | — | — | mob[13] | — | |
F | ||||||
Falcon | eyass/eyas | falcon | tercel terzel tiercel | cast[23] | acciptrine | |
Ferret | kit | jill | hob | business[13][16] busyness[19] | musteline | |
Finch | chick | hen | cock | charm[16] | fringilline | |
Fish (list) | fingerling fry | — | — | school[3] | piscine | |
Flamingo | chick | — | — | flamboyance[58] stand[23] | phoenicopterine | |
Fly | maggot | — | — | business[13] cloud[13] swarm[13] | dipterous | |
Fox | cub[26] kit pup[7] | vixen | dog reynard tod | leash[13][16] skulk[13][16] earth[16] | vulpine | |
Frog | froglet polliwog tadpole | — | — | army[16] | ranine | |
G | ||||||
Gazelle | calf[17] | cow[17] | bull[17] | herd | gazelline | |
Gecko | hatchling | dam (herpetoculture) | sire (herpetoculture) | — | — | |
Gerbil | pup | doe | buck | horde | gerbilline | |
Giant panda | cub | sow | boar | embarrassment [59] sleuth[60] | ailuropodine | |
Giraffe | calf | cow | bull | corps[61] herd tower[61][62] | giraffine | |
Gnat | larva | — | — | cloud[13][16][61] horde[13][16][61] rabble[61] swarm[13][61] | — | |
Gnu | calf | cow | bull | herd implausibility[63] | — | |
Goat (list) | kid | doe doeling nanny | billy buck buckling wether (castrated) | herd flock[61] tribe[61] trip[61] trippe[61] | caprine | cabrito chevon mutton |
Goldfinch | — | — | — | charm[61] | cardueline | |
Goosander | — | — | — | dopping[61] | — | |
Goose | gosling | goose | gander | chevron (in flight)[citation needed] flock (on land) gaggle (on land)[16][61] plump (on land)[61] skein (in flight)[2][16][61] team (in flight)[2][61] wedge (in flight)[2][61] | anatine anserine | poultry |
Gorilla | infant | — | blackback silverback | band[13][16][61] troop, group[13] whoop[61] | simian | |
Goshawk | — | — | — | flight[19][61] | — | |
Grasshopper | nymph | — | — | cloud[61] swarm[61] | caeliferian | |
Grouse | — | — | — | covey[61] pack[61] | tetraonine | |
Guanaco | chulengo[64] | — | — | herd | camelid | |
Guinea fowl | keet | hen | cock | flock[65] rasp[66] | numidine | poultry |
Guinea pig | pup | sow | boar | herd | — | cuy |
Gull | chick | hen | cock | colony flock | larine | |
H | ||||||
Hamster | pup | doe | buck | horde | cricetid | |
Hare | leveret | doe jill | buck jack | band down[67] drove[67] flick[67] husk[67] | leporine | |
Hawk | eyas | hen | tiercel | aerie[68][lower-alpha 5] boil (soaring in large groups)[16][68] cast[68][lower-alpha 6] cauldron (soaring in large groups)[68] flight[68][lower-alpha 7] flock[68] kettle (soaring in large groups)[13][68] leash[68][lower-alpha 8] staff[68][lower-alpha 9] | accipitrine | |
Hedgehog | hoglet piglet pup | sow | boar | array[67] | erinaceine | |
Hermit crab | zoea | — | — | — | paguroid | |
Heron | chick | hen | cock | flight[67] sedge[13][16][67] sege[45][67] siege[13][16][46][67] | ardeidine | |
Herring | — | — | — | army[16][67] glean[67] shoal[67] | clupeidean | |
Hippopotamus | calf | cow | bull | bloat[13][16][67] herd[67] sea[13][16][67] thunder[40] | hippopotamine | |
Hornet | larva pupa | queen | drone | bike[67] nest[16] swarm | vespine | |
Horse (list) | colt (male) filly (female) foal weanling yearling | dam mare | gelding (castrated male) ridgling stallion (not castrated) stud | band (wild horses)[13] field (racehorses) harras[16] herd (wild horses)[13] rag (colts)[16] stable[13] string (ponies)[16] stud[16] team (work horses)[13][16] | caballine equine | horseflesh horsemeat |
Human | baby boy (male) child girl (female) infant | lady (colloquial) woman | gentleman (colloquial) man | band clan crowd family group horde tribe | human simian | “long pig” the flesh that speaks |
Hummingbird | chick | hen | cock | — | trochilidine trochiline | |
Hyena | cub | — | — | cackle[13][16] clan | hyenine | |
I | ||||||
Ibex | kid | nanny | billy | herd[69] | caprine | |
Ibis | chick | — | — | colony | ciconiiforme | |
Iguana | hatchling | cow | bull | — | — | |
Impala | calf | ewe | ram | herd | — | |
J | ||||||
Jaguar | cub | — | — | leap[70] parade[23] prowl[70] | — | |
Jay | chick | hen | cock | band[13] party[16] scold[16] | corvine | |
Jellyfish | ephyra[71] planula polyp | — | — | bloom brood[13] fluther[2] smack[2][16] smuth[12] | scyphozoan | |
Junglefowl (see chicken) | ||||||
K | ||||||
Kangaroo | joey | doe flyer jill roo | boomer buck jack | court herd mob[72] troop[16] | macropodine | |
Kingbird | chick | — | — | court tyranny coronation | — | |
Kinkajou | kit pup | sow | boar | convergence troop | potosine | |
Kite | chick | — | — | — | accipitrine | |
Koala | joey | doe | buck | — | phascolarctine | |
Komodo dragon | calf chick hatchling | cow hen | bull cock | — | varanine | |
L | ||||||
Ladybug | larva | — | — | loveliness | coleopterous | |
Lapwing | chick | — | — | deceit[16][19] desert[2] | vanelline | |
Lark | chick | hen | cock | exaltation[2][19] | alaudine | |
Lemur | infant | — | — | conspiracy[73] | lemurine | |
Leopard | cub | leopardess | leopard | leap[2][13][16] lepe[2] | pardine | |
Lion | cub[26] | lioness | lion | pride[74][75][43] sawt[43][76] | leonine | |
Lizard | hatchling | — | — | — | — | |
Llama | cria | dam hembra | macho stud | flock herd | camelid | |
Lobster | — | hen[3] | cock[3] | risk | homarine | |
Locust (list) | nymph | — | — | cloud host swarm | caelifera | |
Loris | infant | — | — | colony[77] | lorisine[78] | |
Louse | nymph | — | — | colony | pediculine | |
Lyrebird | chick | hen | cock | musket[79] | menurine | |
M | ||||||
Mallard Also see Duck | duckling | hen | greenhead[80] | sord[2] suit[2] | anatine | poultry |
Mammoth (see elephant) | calf | cow | bull | herd pack | mammutine | |
Manatee | calf | cow | bull | herd | manatine sirenian | |
Mandrill | infant | — | — | horde | simian | |
Manta ray | fry | — | — | — | feline[citation needed] | |
Mantis | nymph | — | — | swarm | caelifera | |
Meerkat | meerkitten | — | — | — | herpestine | |
Mink | cub kit | sow | boar | — | musteline | |
Mole | pup | sow | boar | labor[23] | talpine | |
Mongoose | pup | — | — | committee delegation troop | herpestine | |
Monkey | infant | — | — | group, troop[2] | simian | |
Moose | calf[17] | cow[17] | bull[17][57] | herd | cervine | venison |
Mosquito | nymph tumbler wriggler |