bevy

English

WOTD – 11 August 2012

Etymology

Middle English bevey, of uncertain origin, possibly Anglo-Norman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛvi/
• Homophone: bevvy

Noun

bevy (plural bevies)

1. (collective) A group of animals, in particular quail.
2. (collective) A large group or collection.
   • 2017 January 12, Brian Fung, “Why AT&T’s top execs visited Trump Tower”, in The Washington Post^[1]:

     Thursday's session makes AT&T the latest high-profile company to meet with Trump after the president-elect's series of job-related talks with firms such as Softbank, Carrier and a bevy of tech companies including Google, Facebook and Apple.

3. (collective) A group of women or girls; chiefly said of schoolgirls.
   • 2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36:

     Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.

Translations

large group of birds

• Armenian: երամ (hy) (eram), տարմ (hy) (tarm)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 群 (zh) (qún)

• Dutch: zwerm (nl) m, vlucht (nl) f, schare (nl) f
• Finnish: parvi (fi)
• French: vol (fr), passée (fr)
• German: Schwarm (de) m, Schar (de) f

• Italian: stormo (it), volata (it), passo (it)
• Japanese: 群れ (むれ, mure)
• Portuguese: bando (pt) m
• Russian: ста́я (ru) f (stája)
• Spanish: bandada (es)
• Swedish: flock (sv)
• Turkish: kuş sürüsü

large group or collection

• Armenian: խումբ (hy) (xumb), հավաքույթ (hy) (havakʿuytʿ)
• Dutch: hoop (nl) m, troep (nl) m, schare (nl) f
• German: Schar (de) f

• Portuguese: bando (pt) m
• Russian: собра́ние (ru) n (sobránije), колле́кция (ru) f (kollékcija)
• Turkish: sürü (tr)