- 2-minute read
- 14th August 2014
Word Choice: Horde vs. Hoard
The words ‘horde’ and ‘hoard’ sound identical, but they have different spellings and meanings. One can be used as either a verb or a noun, while the other is only used in specific circumstances. Make sure that you use the correct terms in your written work.
Horde
The word ‘horde’ is a noun used to describe a group of nomadic warriors, particularly tribes from the Asian continent.
More commonly, ‘horde’ is used in a slightly derogatory way to describe large numbers or crowds of people:
A horde of schoolchildren piled onto the bus.
‘Horde’ is also used metaphorically to describe a pack or swarm of animals, as in ‘a horde of mosquitoes’. It is not, however, to be confused with the word ‘herd’, which is used to describe a group of hoofed mammals.
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Hoard
The word ‘hoard’ is a noun meaning a ‘stash’ or ‘supply’ which is kept in preparation for future use. It would be used in a sentence like this:
He kept his hoard of tinned goods in the cellar.
It can also be used as a verb meaning ‘accumulate over time’. ‘Hoarding’ is even defined as a psychological condition when it involves collecting something compulsively, so and the term can be found in medical dictionaries.
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