/ hɜːd; NAmE hɜːrd/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a group of animals of the same type that live and feed together :
a herd of cows / deer / elephants
a beef / dairy herd
—compare flock
2.
(usually disapproving ) a large group of people of the same type :
She pushed her way through a herd of lunchtime drinkers.
the common herd (= ordinary people)
Why follow the herd (= do and think the same as everyone else) ?
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IDIOMS
see ride verb
■ verb
1.
[+ adv. / prep. ] to move or make sb/sth move in a particular direction :
[ v ]
We all herded on to the bus.
[ vn ]
They were herded together into trucks and driven away.
2.
[ vn ] to make animals move together as a group :
a shepherd herding his flock
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English heord , of Germanic origin; related to German Herde .