flock
part of speech
noun (flock, flocks); verb (flock, flocks, flocked, flocking)
meaning for a pupil
1) A flock is a group of birds or sheep together. tree →
2) A flock is a big crowd of people. tree →
3) To flock is to come together or go somewhere in large numbers: «people flocked to the beach». tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: It means sheep and goats. It is a main kind of wealth and the animals brought as offerings. Interpretation: The patriarchs were shepherds, and tradition says this showed their gentle character. Moses was also a shepherd before God called him. In the primary lessons: a group of animals counted as one; animals per flock is a rate; animals join or leave the flock; in science: birds fly in flocks to stay safe and find food, some flocks migrate together; in stories: a shepherd looks after his flock; phrases: «a flock of sheep», «flock to», «birds of a feather flock together» (similar people stay together)
examples
- And Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks. (Torah GEN.30.36, JPS 1917) tree →
- And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves. (Torah GEN.21.28, JPS 1917) tree →
- And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. (Torah GEN.37.12, JPS 1917) tree →
- and over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite. (Writings 1CH.27.31, JPS 1917) tree →
- The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds; (Prophets 2SA.12.2, JPS 1917) tree →
- Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! (Prophets ZEC.11.17, JPS 1917) tree →
- A flock of 30 sheep grazed on the hill. tree →
- 8 birds flew away from the flock. tree →
- There are 4 flocks with 12 geese each. tree →
- How many birds are in the flock now? tree →
- A flock of geese flew south for the winter. tree →
- The shepherd counted his flock every evening. tree →
- Crowds flocked to the beach on the hot day. tree →
- Birds of a feather flock together. tree →
note
A group word: birds joining add, birds flying away take away; flocks × birds per flock = all birds. Trap: count birds, not flocks, unless asked. Other group words: a herd of cows, a school of fish, a pack of wolves.
In the corpora
- And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.
- And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
- And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves.
- And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household; and the Philistines envied him.
- And Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «flock» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.