crowd and herd share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. crowd means “cause to herd, drive, or crowd together”. herd means “a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans”. crowd is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkɹaʊd/
1.v.cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
“We herded the children into a spare classroom”
2.v.fill or occupy to the point of overflowing
“The students crowded the auditorium”
3.v.to gather together in large numbers
“men in straw boaters and waxed mustaches crowded the verandah”
/ˈhɝd/
1.n.a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans
2.n.a group of wild mammals of one species that remain together: antelope or elephants or seals or whales or zebra
3.n.a crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things
“his brilliance raised him above the ruck”
| crowd | herd | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɹaʊd/ | /ˈhɝd/ |
| Said | krowd | hurd |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 6 | 6 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | herd | none recorded |
Full entry for crowd · Full entry for herd · More comparisons