collective noun

collective noun (plural collective nouns)

1. (grammar) A noun which, though singular, refers to a group of things or animals. Examples: a school of fish, a pride of lions.
   • 1775, John Ash, The New and Complete Dictionary of the English Language, volume 1, London: Edward and Charles Dilly in the Poultry; and R. Baldwin in Pater-Noster Row, OCLC 4294888, page 23:

     A hundred, a thousand, few, many, are to be considered as collective nouns, and distinguished as such, by the singular article.

   • 2008, Ron Cowan, The Teacher's Grammar of English with Answers‎:

     ‎British English tends more than American English to have plural agreement with collective nouns.

• collective
• noun of assemblage
• noun of multitude

• mass noun
• Appendix:English collective nouns