bevy

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 13, 2024 is: bevy \BEV-ee\ noun A bevy is a large group of people or things. Bevy is usually used in the singular form and accompanied by the word of. // The new streaming platform featured a bevy of new movies to choose from. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bevy) Examples: “Among several ‘moving murals’ currently displayed on select CTA trains is the picture of a young girl standing among daffodils, meant as a symbol of hope. Another train features a hand painting the phrase ‘New Ideas’ amid a bevy of flowers. A third includes the phrase ‘Help us bridge the gap’ while showing the juxtaposition of the city’s pristine downtown and the disrepair of certain neighborhoods.” — Erica Thompson, The Chicago Sun-Times, 18 Aug. 2024 Did you know? There’s no need to [quail](https://bit.ly/4f5DYG7) when confronted with a word of uncertain origins; some mysteries are simply destined to remain as such. Etymologists have a bevy of theories about the roots of bevy, for example, but little definitive evidence—and that’s okay! What we do know is that bevy emerged out of [Middle English](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Middle-English-language) as the [collective noun](https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/a-drudge-of-lexicographers-presents-collective-nouns) for a number of birds and mammals that were commonly hunted, including pheasants, partridges, [roe deer](https://bit.ly/4eOOqC4), larks, and especially [quail](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quail). Bevy is still used in this way today, not only for wild game but for gulls, hens, etc. But bevies are now most often composed of a great many people and things, as in “a bevy of reporters” or “a bevy of menu options.”