Old English flocc "a group of persons, company, troop," related to Old Norse flokkr "crowd, troop, band," Middle Low German vlocke "crowd, flock (of sheep);" of unknown origin, not found in other Germanic languages; perhaps related to folc "people," but the metathesis would have been unusual for Old English.
In Old English of humans only; extended c. 1200 to "a number of animals of one kind moving or feeding together;" of domestic animals c. 1300. The special reference to birds is recent (19c.). Transferred to bodies of Christians, in relation to Christ or their pastor, from mid-14c.
flock (n.2)
"tuft of wool," mid-13c., also found in continental Germanic and Scandinavian, all probably from Old French floc, from Latin floccus "flock of wool, lock of hair."
flock (v.)
c. 1300 "gather, congregate" (intransitive), from flock (n.1). Related: Flocked; flocking.
实用例句
1. A flock of birds flew towards us slowly from far away.
一群鸟儿从远处朝我们缓缓飞来。
来自柯林斯例句
2. A flock of birds was already warbling a cheerful morning chorus.
