Collective Nouns And The Like

COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Collective nouns are used to denominate a group of people, animals or things. There are many of them, but they are too difficult to learn and remember, even for English-speaking people!

a band of soldiers a bouquet of flowers a brood of hens a bunch of grapes a caravan of camels a cast of hawks a circle of friends a clowder of cats a clump of trees a collection of coins a colony of ants a crew of sailors a crowd of people a deck of cards a dray of squirrels a drove of cattle a dole of doves a fleet of ships a flock of sheep a gaggle of geese/tourists/children a gam of whales a gang of thieves a group of people a herd of cattle a herd of elephants a hive of bees a horde of children a leap of leopards a mass of people a mob of hooligans a pack of cards a panel of experts a parliament of owls a party of visitors a plague of locusts a pride of lions a school of fish a set of teeth a sheaf of papers a shelf of books a shoal of fish a sloth of bears a stack of chairs/papers/dishes a string of pearls a swarm of bees a troop of monkeys a troupe of actors/singers a wad of banknotes/bills

WORDS USED ONLY IN PLURAL acoustics

acústica

aerobics

gimnasia aeróbica

athletics

atletismo

barracks

cuartel

bellows

fuelle

belongings

efectos personales

billiards

billar

binoculars

binoculares

bowls

petanca, juego de bochas

braces (GB), suspenders (US)

tiradores

braces (US)

aparatos de ortodoncia

clothes

vestimenta, ropa

contents

contenido

crossroads

cruce

customs

aduana

darts

dardos

dominoes

dominó

dungarees

pantalón de peto

earnings

ingresos

economics

ciencias económicas, economía

ethics

ética

gallows

horca

gasworks

fábrica de gas

glasses

gafas, anteojos

goods

mercancías

greens

verduras

gymnastics

gimnasia

handcuffs

esposas

headquarters

sede central, cuartel general

jeans

jeans, vaqueros

kennels

perrera

knickers

bragas

leggings

calzas, mallas

linguistics

lingüística

manners

modales

maths

matemáticas

mathematics

matemáticas

means

medio, manera

measles

sarampión

German measles

rubéola

mumps

paperas

odds

posibilidades

outskirts

afueras (de la ciudad)

pants (GB), underpants (US)

bragas, calzoncillos

pants (US), trousers (GB)

pantalones

phonetics

fonética

physics

física

pincers

pinzas

pliers

alicates, tenazas

pyjamas (GB), pajamas (US)

pijama

remains

restos

riches

riquezas

scales

balanza

scissors

tijeras

series

serie, sucesión

shears

tijeras de jardín

shorts

bermudas, pantalones cortos

shorts (US)

calzoncillos

species

especie

spectacles

gafas, anteojos

stairs

escaleras

statistics

estadísticas

surroundings

alrededores

tights (GB)

pantimedias

tongs

pinzas (para el hielo)

trunks

bañador, malla (para hombre)

tweezers

pinzas (para depilar las cejas)

UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS MADE COUNTABLE an article/item of clothing

una prenda de vestir

a blade of grass

una hoja de hierba/césped

a block of cement

un bloque de cemento

a breath of fresh air

un soplo de aire fresco

a clap of thunder

un trueno

a cloud of dust

una polvareda

a cloud of smoke

una humareda

a crust of bread

una corteza

a dash of pepper

una pizca de pimienta

a fit of rage/temper

un arranque de ira

a flash of lightning

un relámpago

a grain of rice

un grano de arroz

a gust of wind

una ráfaga de viento

a head of hair

una cabellera

an item/piece of news

una noticia

a jet of water

un chorro de agua

a loaf of bread

una barra de pan

a lock of hair

un mechón de pelo

a lump of coal

un carbón

a lump of sugar

un terrón de azúcar

a means of transport

un medio de transporte

a pat of butter

una porción de manteca

a piece of information

un dato

a piece of advice

un consejo

a piece of furniture

un mueble

a piece of luggage

una maleta

a piece of music

una pieza musical

a pile of earth

una pila de tierra

a slice of meat

una tajada de carne

a spell of hot weather

una ola de calor

a spot of rain

una gota de lluvia

a stroke of luck

un golpe de suerte