Collective nouns are words that stand for groups of things, and they should be a part of your Miller Analogies Test strategy. Collective nouns are among the most creative words in the English language. Ever heard of a MURDER of crows, for instance? “Murder” is the collective noun for a group of crows.
Collective nouns are often words with multiple meanings. For example, BED can mean a bed of flowers or a bed you sleep in. Keep an open mind as to what a word means if you see one that has multiple definitions.
The following list covers some common collective nouns. The word in CAPITALS is the collective noun for the group of the word that follows it. For example, in the entry “BED of flowers,” BED is the collective noun for flower.
ALBUM of photographs
ATLAS of maps
BAND of men
BATTERY of guns
BED of flowers
BELT of asteroids
BEVY of beauties
BOARD of directors
BUNCH of bananas
CACHE of jewels
CAST of actors
CLUTCH of eggs
COLONY of fungi
CONGREGATION of churchgoers
COVEN of witches
CROWD of people
CULTURE of bacteria
DECK of cards
DEN of thieves
FLEET of cars
FLIGHT of stairs
FLOCK of sheep
FOREST of trees
GAGGLE of girls
HERD of cattle
HOST of angels
LIBRARY of books
LITTER of kittens
LOCK of hair
ORCHESTRA of musicians
PAIR of shoes
PANEL of experts
PEAL of bells
POSSE of sheriffs
QUIVER of arrows
RANGE of mountains
REAM of paper
SHOAL of fish
SLATE of candidates
STRING of pearls
TEAM of athletes
TRIBE of natives
TROUPE of dancers
WEALTH of information
WING of aircraft
YOKE of oxen
