shepherd

shepherd — noun

1. a person who looks after sheep for a living, moving them between fields and keep

1.nounA2
Definition

a person who looks after sheep for a living, moving them between fields and keeping them safe from danger.

Example

Eitan has worked as a shepherd in the Welsh hills for over thirty years.

Each morning the shepherd leads the flock down to the river for water.

collocation: lead the flock

Common collocations
  • shepherd + flock
  • shepherd + staff
  • shepherd + dog
  • shepherd + pasture
  • shepherd + keep watch over
Synonyms
  • herder

    broader term — can refer to someone who looks after cattle, goats, or other livestock, not just sheep.

  • drover

    mainly UK; moves sheep or cattle on foot over long distances, often on public roads.

shepherd — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words refer to people who manage livestock, but they differ in scope and specificity. 'Shepherd' is the most specific — it only describes someone who looks after sheep. 'Herder' is broader and can apply to cattle, goats, camels, or reindeer depending on the region. 'Drover' is mainly British English and refers to someone who moves sheep or cattle on foot along public roads, often over long distances; it emphasises the driving aspect more than the daily care. 'Shepherdess' is simply the feminine form of 'shepherd', though it is less common in modern use. For example, 'The shepherd called his dog to round up the strays,' versus 'The cattle herder moved the herd to the next valley.'

herderdrovershepherdess ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • from one place to another

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicEnglish

Comes from Old English 'sceaphierde', a compound of 'sceap' (sheep) and 'hierde' (herder). So the word has always literally meant 'sheep-herder'. Related words in German (Schäfer) and Dutch (herder) share the same root. The verb sense developed later, around the 1500s, extending the idea of careful guidance from sheep to people.