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gregarious
adjective

- (of people) liking to be with other people, or (especially of animals) living in groups

(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

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Gregarious was originally used to describe the social nature of groups of animals. It grew out of the early Latin "grex" and Late Latin "gregarius" meaning a herd or flock, and is related to the Greek "ageirein" (to assemble) and "agora" (assembly). By the end of the 18th century gregarious was being used to describe social human beings as well. Other English words that stem from this root include:

- egregious = conspicuously bad or offensive ("e" = out + grex = flock or herd - literally to stand out from the rest of the herd)

- aggregate = to gather into a mass or a whole ("ad" = to add to + "gregare" = flock or herd)

- congregate = to gather together ("com" = together + "gregare" = flock or herd)

- segregate = to divide ("se" = apart from + "gregare" = flock or herd)

Both flock and herd describe large groups of the same types of animals that live and feed together, although flock is generally reserved for sheep, goats and birds. Herd is usually used for four legged grazing animals (herbivores) such as cows, horses and elephants to name a few. Other collective animal nouns are:

- a pride of lions

- a pack of dogs

- a litter of kittens or puppies

- a school of fish

- a colony of bees

- a troop of monkeys or apes

- a sleuth of bears

- a murder of crows

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SYNONYMS

friendly, affable, clubby, companionable, convivial, cordial, fun, outgoing, sociable, social

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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation

"We met a lot of gregarious people at the welcome party."