Terms of Venery – Animals

alligator A congregation of alligators [wikipedia]
antelope A cluster of antelope [wikipedia]
ape A troop of apes [wikipedia]
baboon A flange of baboons [wikipedia]
badger A cete of badgers [Monster Manual, usgs, wikipedia]
bat swarm A cloud of bat swarms [Monster Manual]
bat A cloud of bats [wikipedia]
bear A sloth of bears [usgs, wikipedia]
bird (general) A flight of birds (in the air) [usgs]
bird (general) A flock of birds (on the ground) [usgs]
bison A herd of bison [Monster Manual, usgs, wikipedia]
bittern A sedge of bitterns [usgs]
boar A sounder of boars [wikipedia]
bobolink A chain of bobolinks [usgs]
bovine (general) A herd of bovines [wikipedia]
buffalo An obstinacy of buffalo [usgs, wikipedia]
bush baby A congress of bush babies [wikipedia]
butterfly A flutter of butterflies [wikipedia]
buzzard A wake of buzzards [usgs]
camel A flock of camels [wikipedia]
canine (general) A pack of canines [wikipedia]
caribou A herd of caribou [wikipedia]
cat A clowder of cats [usgs]
cattle A herd of cattle [usgs]
cattle A kine of cows [wikipedia]
chamois A herd of chamois [wikipedia]
cheetah A coalition of cheetahs [wikipedia]
chicken A brood of chickens [wikipedia]
chimpanzee A troop of chimpanzees [wikipedia]
chinchilla A herd of chinchilla [wikipedia]
clam A bed of clams [usgs]
cobra A quiver of cobra [wikipedia]
coot A cover of coots [usgs]
cormorant A gulp of cormorants [usgs]
coyote A train of coyote [wikipedia]
crab A consortium of crabs [wikipedia]
crane A sedge of cranes [usgs]
crocodile A bask of crocodiles [usgs]
crow A murder of crows [usgs]
deer A rangale of deer [usgs]
dinosaur A pack or herd of dinosaurs [Monster Manual]
dog A cowardice of curs [usgs]
dog A cry of hounds [usgs]
dog A pack of dogs [Monster Manual]
dog A pack of wild dogs [usgs, wikipedia]
dolphin An alliance of dolphins (male) [wikipedia]
dolphin A party of dolphins (female) [wikipedia]
dolphin A team of dolphins (mixed) [wikipedia]
donkey A pace of donkeys [usgs]
dotterel A trip of dotterel [usgs]
dove A dule of doves [usgs]
duck A company of widgeons [usgs]
duck A raft of ducks (on water) [usgs, wikipedia]
duck A safe of ducks (on land) [wikipedia]
duck A skein of ducks (in the air) [wikipedia]
duck A sord of mallards (in the air) [usgs, wikipedia]
dugong A herd of dugongs [wikipedia]
eagle A convocation of eagles [usgs, wikipedia]
eel A swarm of eels [wikipedia]
elephant seal An arrangement of elephant seals [wikipedia]
elephant A parade of elephants [wikipedia]
elk A gang of elk [usgs, wikipedia]
emu A mob of emu [zoo]
equines (general) A herd of equines [wikipedia]
felines (general) A clowder of felines [wikipedia]
ferret A business of ferrets [usgs]
finch A charm of finches [usgs]
fish (general) A shoal of fish [usgs]
flamingo A flamboyance of flamingoes [zoo]
fox A skulk of fox [usgs, wikipedia]
frog An army of frogs [usgs]
gerbil A horde of gerbils [wikipedia]
giraffe A tower of giraffes [usgs, wikipedia]
goat A trip of goats [usgs]
goldfish A troubling of goldfish [zoo]
goose A gaggle of geese (on the ground) [usgs, wikipedia]
goose A skein of geese (in the air) [usgs, wikipedia]
gorilla A band of gorillas [usgs, wikipedia]
grouse A pack of grouse [usgs]
gull A colony of gulls [usgs]
hamster A horde of hamsters [wikipedia]
hawk A boil of hawks (spiraling in small numbers) [usgs, wikipedia]
hawk A cast of hawks [usgs, wikipedia]
hawk A kettle of hawks (flying in large numbers) [usgs, wikipedia]
hedgehog An array of hedgehogs [wikipedia]
heron A sedge of herons [usgs]
herring An army of herring [usgs]
hippopotamus A bloat of hippopotamuses [usgs, wikipedia]
horse A harras of horses [usgs]
horse A herd of horses [Monster Manual]
horse A string of ponies [wikipedia]
hyena A cackle of hyenas [usgs, wikipedia]
jay A scold of jays [usgs]
jellyfish A smack of jellyfish [usgs, wikipedia]
kangaroo A troop of kangaroos [usgs]
koala A colony of koala [wikipedia]
komodo dragon A bank of komodo dragons [wikipedia]
lapwing A deceit of lapwings [usgs]
lark An exaltation of larks [usgs, wikipedia]
lemur A plot of lemurs [wikipedia]
leopard A leap of leopards [usgs, wikipedia]
lion A pride of lions [Monster Manual, usgs, wikipedia]
louse An infestation of lice [wikipedia]
lyrebird A musket of lyrebirds [wikipedia]
magpie A tiding of magpies [usgs, wikipedia]
manatee A herd of manatee [wikipedia]
manta ray A school of manta rays [Monster Manual]
marten A richness of martens [usgs]
meerkat A mob of meerkats [wikipedia]
mole A labor of moles [usgs, wikipedia]
monkey A troop of monkeys [Monster Manual, usgs, wikipedia]
mosquito A scourge of mosquitoes [wikipedia]
mouse A mischief of mice [wikipedia]
mule A pack of mules [usgs, wikipedia]
narwhal A blessing of narwhals [wikipedia]
night hunter A swoop of night hunters [Monsters of Faerûn]
nightingale A watch of nightingales [usgs, wikipedia]
ostrich A flock of ostriches [wikipedia]
otter A romp of otters [usgs, wikipedia]
owl A parliament of owls [usgs, wikipedia]
ox A team of oxen [usgs]
oyster A culch of oysters [wikipedia]
parrot A company of parrots [usgs]
partridge A covey of partridges [usgs, wikipedia]
peacock An ostentation of peacocks [usgs, wikipedia]
penguin (in water) A raft of penguins [wikipedia]
penguin (on land) A waddle of penguins [wikipedia]
pheasant A bouquet of pheasants [usgs]
pig A passel of hogs [usgs]
pig A sounder of swine [usgs]
pigeon A kit of pigeons [wikipedia]
platypus A puddle of platypi [wikipedia]
plover A congregation of plovers (on the ground) [usgs]
plover A wing of plovers (in the air) [usgs]
porcupine A prickle of porcupines [usgs, wikipedia]
porpoise A school of porpoises [Monster Manual]
ptarmigan A covey of ptarmigans [usgs]
quail A bevy of quail [usgs]
rabbit A colony of rabbits [usgs, wikipedia]
rabbit A down of hares [usgs, wikipedia]
raccoon A gaze of raccoons [wikipedia]
rat swarm A pack or infestation of rat swarms [Monster Manual]
rat A plague of rats [Monster Manual, wikipedia]
raven An unkindness of ravens [usgs, wikipedia]
rhinoceros A crash of rhinoceroses [usgs, wikipedia]
rook A building of rooks [usgs, wikipedia]
salamander A maelstrom of salamanders [wikipedia]
sea lion A harem of sea lions (female) [wikipedia]
sea lion A hurdle of sea lions (male) [wikipedia]
sea lion A rookery of sea lions (mixed) [wikipedia]
seahorse A shoal of seahorses [wikipedia]
seal A pod of seals [usgs, wikipedia]
shark A shiver of sharks [usgs, wikipedia]
shark A troop of dogfish [wikipedia]
sheep A flock of sheep [usgs, wikipedia]
shrew A drove of shrews [wikipedia]
skunk A surfeit of skunks [wikipedia]
snail A hood of snails [wikipedia]
snake A nest of snakes [usgs, wikipedia]
snipe A walk of snipe [usgs]
sparrow A host of sparrows [usgs]
spider A skittering of spiders [Xaeyruudh]
squid An audience of squid [wikipedia]
squirrel A scurry of squirrels [usgs, wikipedia]
starling A murmuration of starlings [usgs]
stinkbug An intrusion of stinkbugs [wikipedia]
stork A mustering of storks [usgs]
swallow A flight of swallows [usgs]
swan A flock of swans (on the ground) [wikipedia]
swan A wedge of swans (in the air) [usgs]
tapir A measure of tapirs [wikipedia]
tarsier A troop of tarsiers [wikipedia]
teal A spring of teal [usgs]
tiger An ambush of tigers [wikipedia]
toad A knot of toads [usgs, wikipedia]
trout A hover of trout [usgs]
turkey A gang of turkeys [usgs]
turtle A bale of turtles [usgs, wikipedia]
walrus A herd of walruses [wikipedia]
water buffalo A pot of water buffalo [wikipedia]
weasel A sneak of weasels [wikipedia]
whale A pod of whales [Monster Manual, usgs, wikipedia]
wolf A pack of wolves [Monster Manual, usgs]
wombat A wisdom of wombats [wikipedia]
woodcock A fall of woodcocks [usgs]
woodpecker A descent of woodpeckers [usgs]
yak A cabinet of yaks [wikipedia]
zebra A cohort of zebra [wikipedia]

Terms of Venery – Aberrations

aboleth A flux of aboleth [Candlekeep]
athach A gang of athach [Monster Manual]
beholder A blight of beholders [Xaeyruudh]
carrion crawler A cluster of carrion crawlers [Monster Manual]
chuul A pack of chuul [Monster Manual]
cloaker A mob or flock of cloakers [Monster Manual]
deepspawn A brood of deepspawn [Monsters of Faerûn]
destrachan A pack of destrachans [Monster Manual]
eyeball A swarm of eyeballs [Xaeyruudh]
gouger An eyesore of gougers [Xaeyruudh]
grick A cluster of gricks [Monster Manual]
illithid An inquisition of illithids [Monster Manual]
naga A nest of naga [Monster Manual]
otyugh A cluster of otyughs [Monster Manual]
phaerimm A dissonance of phaerimm [Candlekeep]
sharn A shudder of sharn [Candlekeep]
skum A brood of skum [Monster Manual]
tall mouther A handful of tall mouthers [Shining South]
umber hulk A cluster of umber hulks [Monster Manual]
will-o’-wisp A string of will-o’-wisps [Monster Manual]

Terms of Venery

Occasionally, you’ll find yourself looking for a word to describe a group of something. And sometimes “bunch” or “flock” just doesn’t do them justice. Or perhaps you want to add a sudden dose of humor into the description.

The word for those words is “terms of venery” and here are a few examples, divided by type. In the animal and vermin categories, additional terms are often available; I just picked the one I liked. Click the links in the Sources section below to see the others.

Sources

In addition to various D&D sourcebooks, some terms (for critters which also occur on Earth) come from lists maintained by the USGS, Wikipedia, and the San Diego Zoo. If you find other sources for terms of venery, send me a link and I’ll incorporate them here.