Flock Is Also the Fuzz on Wallpaper
A flock is a group of birds or sheep. A separate word means tufts of wool, which is where flock wallpaper gets its name.
A flock is a group of birds or sheep, or a religious congregation. A second, unrelated *flock* means tufts of wool or fibre, from Latin *floccus*, and it names *flock wallpaper*, where powdered fibre is dusted onto glue to create a raised velvety pattern. Two identical words from different languages. The congregation sense is a shepherding metaphor: a *pastor* is Latin for shepherd.
- A group of birds or sheep. *A flock of geese.*
- A congregation. *The vicar's flock.*
- Tufts of fibre. *Flock wallpaper.*
- To gather. *People flocked to see it.*
- Pastor — Latin for shepherd. *The pastor.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | flock | A large flock. |
| Plural | flocks | Two flocks. |
| Verb | flock | They flocked in. |
| Compound | flock wallpaper | Flock wallpaper. |
| Latin | floccus | A tuft of wool. |
- A flock of starlings turned overhead.Birds.
- Visitors flocked to the exhibition.Verb.
- Flock wallpaper has a velvety texture.The other word.
Collective nouns for birds
- Flock — the general word for most birds
- Murmuration — starlings in flight
- Gaggle — geese on the ground; a skein in flight
- Murder — crows, a medieval invention
- Most fanciful ones come from fifteenth-century hunting books, not real usage
Old English *flocc*, a group or company. The fibre sense is separate, from Old French *floc*, from Latin *floccus*, a tuft of wool.
What is flock wallpaper?
Wallpaper with a raised velvety pattern, made by dusting powdered fibre onto printed glue.
Are the fanciful collective nouns real?
Most come from fifteenth-century books of hunting terms. They were literary exercises rather than everyday speech.