Bunch, Bundle and Batch: What Groups What
A bunch is a cluster of things held or growing together. English is strict about which collective word goes with which thing.
A bunch is a number of things growing or fastened together. English collective words are not interchangeable and the choice sounds wrong immediately if you swap them: grapes and keys come in bunches, sticks and newspapers in bundles, cakes and emails in batches, and cattle in herds. Native speakers never think about the rule but never break it either. In American informal speech *a bunch of* has widened to mean simply a lot.
- A cluster. *A bunch of grapes.*
- A group held together. *A bunch of keys.*
- A lot (informal). *A bunch of questions.*
- To gather together. *The fabric bunched up.*
- Best of the bunch — the pick of a group. *The best of the bunch.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | bunch | One bunch. |
| Plural | bunches | Three bunches. |
| Verb | bunch | Bunch them together. |
| Past | bunched | The cloth bunched. |
| Adjective | bunched | Bunched fabric. |
- She bought a bunch of bananas.Growing together.
- Thanks a bunch.Informal, sometimes sarcastic.
- The runners bunched at the bend.Verb: crowded together.
Which collective goes with what
- Bunch — grapes, flowers, keys, bananas
- Bundle — sticks, newspapers, clothes, nerves
- Batch — cakes, bread, emails, applications
- Cluster — stars, cells, buildings
- Sheaf — corn, papers
Middle English, of uncertain origin, first meaning a lump or swelling. The sense of a cluster of things arrived by the 1400s.
Is a bunch of keys correct?
Yes. Keys on a ring are the standard example of a bunch, alongside grapes and flowers.
Is a bunch of people acceptable?
In informal English, yes, especially in American usage. In formal writing, prefer a group or a number of people.