Emily Dickinson Lexicon

HERD, n.¹ [Sax. herd, heord; G. herde; Sw. and Dan. hiord; Basque, ardi. Words of this kind have for their primary sense, collection, assemblage. So in Saxon, here is an army. It may be from driving, W. gyr or hèr.]

1. A collection or assemblage; applied to beasts when feeding or driven together. We say, a herd of horses, oxen, cattle, camels, elephants, bucks, harts, and in Scripture, a herd of swine. But we say, a flock of sheep, goats or birds. A number of cattle going to market is called a drove.
2. A company of men or people, in contempt or detestation; a crowd; a rabble; as, a vulgar herd.