释义 |
flock1 /flɒk /noun1A number of birds of one kind feeding, resting, or travelling together: a flock of gulls...- After that they may join a flock of other juvenile birds.
- A flock of four birds is the most common size in Parus during winter.
- They shot through the clouds and scared a flock of native birds.
Synonyms group, flight, congregation 1.1A number of domestic animals, especially sheep, goats, or geese, that are kept together: a flock of sheep...- Just about all the staff are very conservative, good church-going types - and I stick out like a purple goat in a flock of white-washed sheep.
- Yohanna climbed the path over the mountain, and there at the crest in the middle of a flock of sheep and goats, stood Yusef and David, tending three donkeys laden with packs.
- They also run a flock of early lambing sheep and a small suckler cow herd.
Synonyms 1.2A large number or crowd of people: a flock of paparazzi tailed them all over London...- She looked out and saw a flock of men crowded around the stage.
- For she gathered around her a flock of virgins, a fruit-bearing orchard, a garden in bloom.
- I noticed a crowd was gathering, a flock of women in huddles whispering to each other on the outskirts of the crowd.
Synonyms crowd, throng, horde, mob, rabble, large number, mass, multitude, host, army, pack, swarm, sea, stream, troupe, press, crush, flood, collection, company, gathering, assembly, assemblage informal gaggle British informal shower archaic rout 1.3A group of children or pupils in someone’s charge.But Mr Mitchell believes his flock are taking a light-hearted approach to the West Yorkshire clash at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. 1.4A Christian congregation or body of believers, especially one under the charge of a particular minister: Thomas addressed his flock...- I could surrender everything to the Lord - my dear wife and children, my congregation as a dear flock, the seminary and its staff.
- A Newbold church is packing its pews with a new flock of Asian Christians thanks to the multi-lingual skills of the curate.
- And he has urged his flock to contemplate their Christian response and ‘reflect with the eyes of faith on the big issues of the day.’
Alluding to the metaphor of Christ or a Christian pastor as a shepherd verb [no object]1(Of birds) congregate in a flock: sandgrouse are liable to flock with other species...- He was the bird and the other birds flocking to the tree were the souls he would save by establishing a Church here.
- At certain times of the day, small birds flock to these branches, chattering and fluttering, as if this were a festive occasion.
- Elegant flamingos and other birds flock to Chilika in the winter.
1.1 [with adverbial] Move or go together in a crowd: tourists flock to Oxford in their thousands...- But the dance crowd also flocks to more obscure events.
- In fact, crowds from all over the world flock here to enjoy its solitude.
- After many years in the doldrums, cinema groups are reporting a massive increase in takings, as crowds flock back to the big screen.
Synonyms gather, collect, congregate, assemble, come together, get together, converge, convene, rally, rendezvous, muster, meet, mass, amass, crowd, throng, cluster, herd, group, bunch, swarm, huddle, mill rare foregather stream, go in large numbers, swarm, surge, seethe, spill, crowd, herd, troop 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'. Rhymes ad hoc, amok, Bangkok, baroque, belle époque, bloc, block, bock, brock, chock, chock-a-block, clock, doc, dock, floc, frock, hock, hough, interlock, jock, knock, langue d'oc, lock, Locke, Médoc, mock, nock, o'clock, pock, post hoc, roc, rock, schlock, shock, smock, sock, Spock, stock, wok, yapok flock2 /flɒk /noun [mass noun, often as modifier]1A soft material for stuffing cushions, quilts, and other soft furnishings, made of wool refuse or torn-up cloth: flock mattresses...- All excess flock fibers are automatically collected and recycled back to the dispensing hopper.
- In considering the diagnosis of flock worker's lung, the symptom profile is crucial in raising clinical suspicion.
- Those results are consistent with Schillaci's findings and support our flock composition results.
1.1Powdered wool or cloth, used in making flock wallpaper.But the very existence of Michelin-starred Indian restaurants may signal the death knell of flock wall-paper, lager and an onion bhaji....- The hall was decorated in green flock paper, and was furnished with a modern two layer bronze and teak tripod table.
1.2 [count noun] A lock or tuft of wool or cotton. Derivatives flocky /ˈflɒki / adjective ...- The table linen was decorated with a pair of ostriches and their flocky babies resting in a green grassland.
Origin Middle English: from Old French floc, from Latin floccus (see floccus). |