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.
雙語例句
1. A flock of birds flew towards us slowly from far away.
一群鳥兒從遠(yuǎn)處朝我們緩緩飛來。
來自柯林斯例句
2. A flock of birds was already warbling a cheerful morning chorus.