flock1

 
Pronunciation: /flɒk/

noun

  • a number of birds of one kind feeding, resting, or travelling together: a flock of gulls
  • a number of domestic animals, especially sheep, goats, or geese, that are kept together: a flock of sheep
  • a large number or crowd of people: a flock of paparazzi tailed them all over London
  • a group of children or pupils in someone’s charge.
  • a Christian congregation or body of believers, especially one under the charge of a particular minister: Thomas addressed his flock
    [alluding to the metaphor of Christ or a Christian pastor as a shepherd]

verb

[no object]
  • (of birds) congregate in a flock: sandgrouse are liable to flock with other species
  • [with adverbial] move or go together in a crowd: tourists flock to Oxford in their thousands

Origin:

Old English flocc, of unknown origin. The original sense was 'a band or body of people': this became obsolete, but has been reintroduced as a transferred use of the sense 'a number of animals kept together'