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Swarm vs Drove - What's the difference?

swarm | drove | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between swarm and drove

is that swarm is a large number of insects, especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony while drove is a number of cattle driven to market or new pastures.

As verbs the difference between swarm and drove

is that swarm is to move as a swarm while drove is simple past of drive.

swarm

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A large number of insects, especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony.
  • * Milton
    • a deadly swarm of hornets
  • A mass of people, animals or things in motion or turmoil.
    • a swarm of meteorites
  • * Addison
    • those prodigious swarms that had settled themselves in every part of it [Italy]
  • (label) A group of nodes sharing the same torrent in a BitTorrent network.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (lb) To move as a swarm .
  • *
  • *:There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy. Mail bags, so I understand, are being put on board. Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors.
  • (lb) To teem, or be overrun with insects, people, etc.
  • *(Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
  • *:Every place swarms with soldiers.
  • (lb) To fill a place as a swarm .
  • (lb) To overwhelm as by an opposing army.
  • To climb by gripping with arms and legs alternately.
  • * (1748–1828)
  • *:At the top was placed a piece of money, as a prize for those who could swarm up and seize it.
  • *1919 , , (The Moon and Sixpence) ,
  • *:She called out, and a boy came running along. He swarmed up a tree, and presently threw down a ripe nut. Ata pierced a hole in it, and the doctor took a long, refreshing draught.
  • To breed multitudes.
  • *(John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • *:Not so thick swarmed once the soil / Bedropped with blood of Gorgon.

    • See also

    *

    Anagrams

    * (l) English collective nouns

    drove

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) drove, drof, draf, from (etyl) . More at (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A number of cattle driven to market or new pastures.
  • (usually, in the plural) A large number of people on the move (literally or figuratively).
    • 2009', Erik Zachte: ''New editors are joining English Wikipedia in '''droves !
  • A road or track along which cattle are habitually driven

    • Derived terms

    * in droves

    Etymology 2

    From earlier drave, from (etyl) drave, draf, from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (drov)
  • (drive).
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town.}}
  • To herd cattle; particularly over a long distance.

    • Anagrams

    * * English irregular simple past forms