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Melissa Kaplan's
Herp Care Collection
Last updated January 1, 2014

Beastly Garden of Wordy Delights

Words have always fascinated me. An avid reader from before the time I could see over the top of the check-out counter at the library, I have always found many words to be a delight to roll off the tongue or to sit there, oddly arrayed, on the page. While I usually did well on spelling tests, I often spent too much time mulling over the sound or appearance of words, so I was not always the fastest of test-takers..

Compiled by Melissa Kaplan

 

Note: Part 1 and 2 are bundled into a single PDF file if you would prefer to save to read or print offline.

 

 

Part 1:
Plurals, Collective Nouns, Sounds, Gender and Offspring

Part 2:
Adjectives
Herp Riddles and Jokes

 

 

Plurals, Collective Nouns, Sounds, Gender and Offspring

Animal

Plural

Collective Noun

Sound

Female/Male

Offspring

alligator

+s

congregation

peep

.

hatchling

alpaca.....cria

antelope

herd

.

doe/buck

calf

ant

+s

army, colony, swarm

.

queen/flying [1]

antling

ape

+s

shrewness

gibber

..

infant

ass

+es

herd, pace

bray

jennet(jenny)/jack

.

baboon

+s

rumpus

.

.

infant

bacterium

bacteria

culture

.

.

.

badger

+s

cete

.

sow/boar

kit, cub

bass

shoal

.

.

.

bat

+s

cloud

ping

.

pup

bear

+s

sleuth, sloth

growl

sow/bear

cub

beaver

+s

colony, lodge

.

.

kit, kitten

bee

+s

hive, grist, swarm

buzz, hum, murmur

.

larva

beetle

+s

.

.

.

grub

bird

+s

congregation, flock, dissimulation, volary

sing, twitter

.

chick, hatchling

bittern

+s

sedge, sledge

boom

.

.

blackbird

+s

.

whistle

.

.

boar

+s

pack, singular, sounder

.

sow/boar

piglet, boarlet

buck

+s

brace, clash

.

.

.

buffalo

herd

.

cow/bull

.

bull

+s

.

bellow

.

.

butterfly

-ies

flutter

.

.

caterpillar

buzzard

+s

wake

.

.

chick

calf

calves

.

bawl, bleat

.

.

camel

+s

flock

groan, grunt

.

calf

cat+sclowder, cluttercaterwal, mew, meow, purr, swearqueen/tom(cat)catling, kit, kitten, puss, pussy

caterpillar

+s

army

.

.

.

cattle

drove, herd

bawl, low, moo

cow/bull [2]

calves

chicken

+s

brood, peep

cackle, peep

hen/rooster [3]

chick

chick

+s

chattering, clutch

peep

.

.

chimpanzee

+s

cartload

hoot, scream

.

infant

clam

+s

bed

.

.

larva

cobra

+s

quiver

.

.

.

cock(erel)

+s

.

crow

.

.

cockroach

+es

intrusion

.

.

larva

codfish....codling, sprat

colt

+s

rag

.

.

.

common murre +sraft   

coot

+s

cover

.

.

hatchling

cormorant

+s

gulp

   

cow

+s

kine, herd

bawl, low, moo

.

calf (calves)

coyote

+s

band, pack, shift, wilieness

.

.

pup

crane

+s

herd, sedge, sledge

.

.

hatchling, chick, colt

crocodile

+s

bask, congregation, float

Listen to real croc talk!

.

.

crow

+s

cawcus, hoard, murder (gathering); cawroboree (in flight)

caw

.

chick, hatchling

cub

+s

litter

.

.

.

cuckoo

+s

.

cuckoo

.

.

curlew

+s

herd

.

.

.

cur

+s

cowardice

.

.

.

deer

herd

bell

doe/buck

fawn, yearling

dog

+s

pack

bark, basy, howl, snarl, woof, yelp

bitch/dog

pup, puppy, whelp

dolphin

+s

pod

click

.

.

donkey

+ies

drove, herd

.

.

foal

dove

+s

dule

coo, moan

.

squab

duck

+s

flock (in air), paddling (on water), team

quack

duck/drake

duckling

eagle

+s

convocation

scream

.

eaglet, eyas

eel

swarm

.

.

elver

egg

+s

clutch

.

.

.

elephant

+s

herd, parade

trumpet

cow/bull

calf

elephant seal

+s

pod

.

.

yearling=weaner

elk

.

gang

.

.

calf

emu

+s

mob

.

.

chick, hatchling

falcon

+s

.

chant

.

.

ferret

+s

business, fesnyng

.

.

kit

finch

+es

charm

.

.

chick, hatchling

fish

fish
fishes

catch, drought, haul, run, school, shoal

.

.

fry, fingerling

flamingo

+s

stand

.

.

chick

fly

flies

business, swarm

buzz

.

maggot

fox

+s

leash, skulk

bark, yelp

vixen/dog

cub, kit, pup

frog

+s

army

croak

.

polliwog, tadpole

giraffe

+s

corps, herd, totter, tower

bleat, grunt

.

calf

gnat

+s

cloud, horde

..

.

.

goat

+s

flock, tribe, trip

..

nanny/billy goat

kid

goldfinch

+s

charm

..

.

chick

goose

geese

gaggle on water/land; skein when in flight

cackle, hiss, honk

goose/gander

cheeper, gosling, grouse

gorilla

+s

band

..

female/silverback [4]

infant

grasshopper

+s

.

chirp, pitter

.

pup

greyhound

+s

leash

roo

.

..

grouse

drumming

drum

.

cheeper, chick

guanaco+s...cria

guinea fowl

.

..

cry

.

.keet.

guinea pig+s.squeak, whistle..
hag moth....monkey slug

hare

+s

down, husk

squeak

doe/buck

.

hawk

+s

cast, kettle

scream

.

fledgling, eyas

hedgehog

+s

array

.

.

piglet

hen

+s

brood

.

.

.pullet

heron

+s

siege, sedge

.

.

.

herring

+s

shoal

.

.

.

hippo

+s

bloat

bray, snort

.

calf

hog

+s

drift, parcel, passel

.

.

.

hornet

+s

nest

.

.

larva

horse

+s

harras, herd, ramuda, string

neigh, whinny

mare/stallion [5]

foal, pony
(colt m, filly f), yearling

hound

+s

cry, mute, pack

.

.

pup

hummingbird

+s

charm

click, whir

.

chick

hyena

+s

cackle

laugh

.

.

insect

+s

swarm

.

.

larva, nymph

jackrabbit

+s

husk

.

.

.

jay

+s

.

chatter

.

.

jellyfish

smack

.

.

ephyra

kangaroo

+s

mob, troop

.

flyer/boomer

joey

kitten

+s

kindle, litter

mew

.

.

lapwing

+s

deceit

.

.

.

lark

+s

ascension, exaltation

.

.

chick

leopard

+s

leap, leep

.

.

cub

linnet

+s

.

chuckle

.

.

lion

+s

pride

roar, growl

lioness/lion

cub

llama+s...cria

locust

+s

plague

.

.

larva

louse

lice

colony

.

.

nit [6]

loon

+s

.

howl

.

.

mackerel....blinker, tinker, spike

magpie

+s

tiding

chatter

.

.

mallard

+s

sord

.

.

duckling

man

men

band

.

.

infant, toddler, child

mare

+s

stud

.

.

.

marten

+s

richness

.

.

.

mole

+s

labor

.

.

pup

monkey

+s

troup

chatter, gibber

.

infant

moose

herd

bellow

.

calf

mosquito

+es

swarm

.

.

nymph

mouse

mice

hoard, miscief

squeak, squeal

.

pinky

mule

+s

barren, span

.

.

foal

nightingale

+s

watch

pipe, jug-lug, warble

.

chick

owl

+s

parliament

hoot, screech, wail

.

owlet

ox

oxen

drove, herd, team, yoke

bellow, low

.

.

oyster

=s

bed

.

.

spat

parrot

+s

company, flock

talk

.

chick

partridge

+s

covey

.

.

cheeper, chick

peacock
peafowl

+s

muster, ostentation

scream

hen/peacock

chick

peep

+s

litter

.

.

blob

peewit

+s

.

cry

.

.

pelican+sraft (on water?), squadron (in flight?)   

penguin

+s

rookery

bleat

.

chick

pheasant

+s

bouquet, nide, nye

.

.

chick

pig

+s

litter

grunt, squeak, squeal

sow/boar

farrow, piglet, shoat, suckling

pigeon+sflight, flockcoohen/cocksquab, squeaker

pilchard

+s

shoal

.

.

.

plover

+s

congregation, wing

.

.

.

polar bear

+s

pack

.

.

cub

pony

-ies

string

.

.

.

porcupine

+s

prickle

.

.

cub

porpoise

+s

herd, pod

.

.

.

prairie dog

+s

coterie

.

.

pup

quail

bevy, covey

.

hen/cock

cheeper, chick

rabbit

+s

nest, warren

.

doe/buck

bunny

raccoon

+s

nursery

.

.

cub

rat

+s

hoard, mischief, pack, swarm

.

.

pinky, pup

rattlesnake

+s

rhumba

.

.

.

raven

+s

unkindness

croak

.

.

regal moth....hickory horned devil

rhino

+s

crash

grunt, growl, snort, whistle

.

calf

roebuck

+s

bevy

.

.

.

rook

+s

building, clamor

caw

.

.

rooster......cockerel
salmon....grilse, parr, smolt

sandpiper

+s

.

pipe, whistle

.

chick

sea gull

=s

colony

squawk

.

chick

seal

+s

colony, herd, pod

.

cow/bull

pup

shark

+s

school, shiver

.

.

cub, pup

shearwater

+s

.

shrill

.

.

sheep

flock

baa, bleat

ewe/ram

cosset, hog, lamb, lambkins

skunk

+s

surfeit

.

.

kit

snake

+s

bed, nest, pit, rave

hiss

.

snakelet, neonate/hatchling

snipe

walk, wisp

.

.

.

sparrow

+s

flight, host

chirp

.

chick

spider

+s

clutter, cluster

.

.

spiderlings

squirrel

+s

dray, scurry

.

.

pup

stag

+s

.

bellow, bellow, roar [7]

.

.

starling

+s

murmuration

.

.

.

stork

+s

mustering

.

.

chick

swallow

+s

flight

titter

.

chick

swallowtail butterfly.....orange dog

swan

+s

bevy, herd, lamentation, team, wedge

bark, cry, grunt, hiss

pen/cob

cygnet

swift

+s

flock

..

.

..

swine

drift, sounder

..

.

piglet

teal

spring

.

.

.

thrush

+es

mutation

whistle

.

.

tiger

+s

ambush, streak

growl, roar

tigress/tiger

cub, whelp

toad

+s

knot

.

.

tadpole, polliwog

tortoise

+s

.

grunt

.

.

trout

hover

.

.

fry, fingerling

turkey

+s

flock, gang, raft, rafter

gobble

hen/tom

poult

turtledove

+s

dule, pitying

.

.

chick

turtle

+s

bale

.

.

hatchling

vicuna...cria

walrus

pod

.

cow/bull

.

whale

+s

gam, school, pod

.

.

.calf

viper

+s

generation, nest

.

.

snakelet, neonate

wolf

wolves

herd, nest, route

howl

.

pup, whelp

woodcock

+s

fall

.

.

.

woodpecker

+s

descent

.

.

.

zebra+sdazzle..foal

1. Only males have wings. All worker ants are sterile.
2. Neutered male: steer
3. Neutered male: capon
4 .The mature males, whose furred backs have swathes of silvery white fur.
5. Neutered male: stallion/gelding
6. Nit is the name for both the egg and larval stages.
7
. In New Zealand, they call stag mating season "the roaring season" due to the all their noise. (From A. Turner)

In general, about young:
Young of carnivorous mammals: whelp
Generally, for most types: younglet, youngling, offspring
Young birds: fledgling, nestling
Young domestic fowl: chick, chicken
Young wild fowl: flapper

 

More Beastly Sites
USGS Northern Prairie Center
Paul Vigay's Collective Nouns
Birding @ About.com
Whilst Watching a Dissimulation of Birds (poem)
OjoHeaven
Fun With Words: Collective Nouns
Hoardworks.com's Word Games

To Part 2:
Adjectives
Herp Riddles and Jokes

Resource created September 1996

Thanks to Jocelyn (LDRS AAC NonfBkJ at AOL's Academic Assistance Center) for the idea of doing female-male nouns

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